


What the Future holds

by Blackadder261, LazyLazer, Thanks_for_the_letters



Series: Altered Fates [2]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different Powers, Alternate Universe- No Storm, Awkward Romance, Chloe is a trouble magnet, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, Light Angst, Max keeps having to save Chloe's ass, Mind Games, Rachel is a piece of work, Reunited Early, Some Humor, Some NSFW to Come, Time Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2019-08-19 16:29:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 50,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16538150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackadder261/pseuds/Blackadder261, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyLazer/pseuds/LazyLazer, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thanks_for_the_letters/pseuds/Thanks_for_the_letters
Summary: Set directly afterThe Call. Chloe and Max attempt to come to terms with everything that has changed in their lives, attempting to uncover the secret behind Max's apparent abilities, figure out where their relationship stands, and fit into a somewhat normal life at Blackwell. All while avoiding a scorned ex-lover of Chloe's.How hard can it possibly be?(Worth re-reading between updates, things can and will change when I re-read it and amend things I mis-write. It happens. )





	1. Up to Speed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe tries to process everything that happened between her and Max in Seattle, while Max is still out for the count.

_February 15th, 2011_

_7.25 am_

_Chloe's house._

Chloe could barely keep her eyes open or her head off the desk as she forced herself to get pen to page once more. The pile of drained energy drinks cans and used mugs gave some indication to any onlooker as to how long she'd been forcing herself to stay awake for. The sun had made itself known about ten minutes ago, to further compound her awareness of just how long it was since she had gotten some rest. David had gone out some time earlier to start up at Blackhell, and Joyce was just heading out the door.

 _Just a few minutes more,_ she insisted in her head,  _just long enough so I can write all of this down and make sense of it later._ Every now and again, a nervous glance over at Max, who lay where Chloe had set her down earlier. Flecks of blood were still visible on the skin above her lips, but even given the fact that she'd been out for over half a day, Chloe could somehow feel that she would wake up. Even in her current state, the same thoughts popped up in her head every time she glanced in Max's direction.

_God, she is cuter than anything I can imagine. How the fuck does someone like me get to be with someone like her? What forces made that come about? Are we, like, destined to be lovers?_

She couldn't help but feel that she was undeserving of her. That somehow, Max was too good for someone like her to be dating, much less her significant other. She cursed silently, wishing that she hadn't opened her mouth and set that in motion.

 _Not that having Max as a girlfriend is a bad thing. Hell, I've dreamt of that happening since we were, like, twelve. I just wish I hadn't said it right then, I just need more time to actually get my feelings for her straight in my head.[A song came on the radio faintly.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMOGaugKpzs)_ Some kinda 80s or 70s rewind, at this time of morning.

> _Every night you stay_  
>  _I'll be watching you_

> _Oh can't you see_  
>  _You belong to me_  
>  _My poor heart aches_  
>  _With every step you take_

> _Every move you make_  
>  _Every vow you break_  
>  _Every smile you fake_  
>  _Every claim you stake_  
>  _I'll be watching you_  

Chloe shuddered, as the lyrics reminded her of those unsavoury events of nine months earlier.  _Ugh, Eliot, your jam much?_ She still struggled to get her head around how she had misjudged him so badly: that behind the façade of caring, he only gave a fuck as far as being her "suitor" was concerned. She remembered how she'd dealt with the old concert tickets that served as a horrid reminder of him. A quart of gas, and a Zippo lighter. Granted, she almost burned her eyebrows off, but she certainly felt way better for having done it.

Finally, she finished writing. She cast her eyes over the pages, making sure it would at least make some sense the next time she read it.

> _February 15th, 2011_
> 
> _If an apparition had come to me three days ago and said 'Chloe, you're gonna skip town, wind up in Seattle and end up with your estranged best friend in the world as your girlfriend', I'd have told it that it was high and to fuck off._
> 
> _Well, that's exactly how things turned out. I almost, **almost** fucked it all up by going on the attack, not even stopping to think that Max might've had a shitty time up there (bad Chloe, go sit in the Dunce's corner). Thankfully, Max's sense of direction is no better now than what I remember it being, so she cornered herself down a dead-end alleyway after I nearly had a heart attack with all the sudden running. I gotta do more cardio, jeez._
> 
> _So, I closed in on her, ready to kick the shit out of her for all her ghosting... and then I did it. I looked into her eyes. I saw all the pain behind them, all the fear that I was causing. It fucking tore me apart to see her like that, ghost or not. I just broke apart and smothered her as I bawled my eyes out at the shitty world we live in. Yeah, real tough Chloe._
> 
> _Anyway... we ended up back at her house. While she was at the bathroom- having a meltdown of her own- I found a Polaroid. The last picture of us two together. It took a couple of minutes to realise that it was damp on the outside because every time Max must've looked at it, the poor girl must've cracked up. Yeah, Chloe Price wins all the awards for treatment of friends, not. So, having reconciled that, and spent a little time tickle-fighting, I *kinda* convinced her that we blow the joint._
> 
> _Her taste in cafés is stereotype hipster, granted. Her taste in good food hella isn't. Nor is her taste in photos, though I wonder how hard it'll be to get her to see how good she really is at it. She loves beating herself up, and I couldn't understand why. Not immediately._
> 
> _Then, we found it. A poster, innocuously stapled to a tree. Ina Morata, playing on Maxi's back doorstep! Sure, it took her a little convincing, but she took on my bad (good-bad?) influence and skipped home, so we could go see it. That being said, just getting into the place it was being held was a challenge. Not for Max, she's still tiny for nearly sixteen. No, I managed to snag my shoulder on a strand of the fence, and Max kinda noticed._
> 
> _So what did I do? Allow Max to help me and take a knock to the old ego; or struggle away at it myself and hope I could pull myself free?_
> 
> _You guessed it. Max stormed off after I snapped at her, and I managed to get an entire arm stuck in the fence by being a dumbass. And then a leg. Jee, that's still fucking sore. So, having finally realised that a) I was a major dumbass, and more importantly b) that I needed Max to get my stupid ass untangled, she helped. After taking a selfie of me. If it was possible to die from embarrassment, I'd have already been arguing with Him at the pearly gates._
> 
> _Max may  have grabbed my thigh  in one place or another while she was pulling my leg free. Naturally, the response that had was to turn me right the fuck on. Perfect. Worse yet, Max guessed it. I take back the 'death by embarrassment' earlier, this was about a million times more humiliating. Especially with how Max reacted. I tried styling it out with some reference to bondage. Real slick. Might as well have thrown the gas can on the fire for all the good that one did. Yet Max... seemed to react way differently to what I expected. I'd have thought she'd leave me to it and walk off, horrified and disgusted that her old captain was gay as fuck. _
> 
> _But, that didn't happen. Before she tried freeing my arm, she kissed me. Fucking KISSED ME. Without any encouragement either. Who is she and what did she do with the Max that left for Seattle three years ago?_
> 
> _The concert was great. Except that one asshole, probably one of her old bullies. Fucker beat me down because I refused to let him near her. So I was lying on the floor, groaning and totally out of it. Then, something amazing happened._ _Max strode up to him, and beat the literal shit out of him. And I just lay there, front row seat, watching Max who used to run screaming from violence beat his face in. It was awesome! And then Max was all over me like 'ohmygodareyouokay?' And everything was just so cute and... then we ended up kissing again. In the middle of the floor, mid-dance. When did my little hipster get so confident in herself?_
> 
> _To top it all off... SHE'S MY GIRLFRIEND NOW! I thought I'd screwed up massively by letting the word slip, but she said yes!  Even if it did take my dumb ass too long to register it, and she had to floor me to get the point across. (May have almost squeezed the life out of her though- Chloe the OTT lover at it again.)_ _Speaking of screwing up... I think we'll have to tread carefully. Rachel... probably wants us both dead. Or in jail. My fault for_ _letting Max send any texts. But hey, blow that bridge the fuck up when we get there._
> 
> _I found out why she's so different to the Max that left three years ago, too. If my life was bad after she left, hers was definitely worse. Assuming I am to believe the doctor's reports and diary entries, which I totally do: domestic abuse; bullying; being blamed for the death of the only real friend she made there? Yeah, that's shit even by my standard. Oh, not to forget the nightmares she had about me. God, it tears my heart out to think that she was scared of me, scared that I would hate her  because she hadn't been in touch and because of how we left everything._
> 
> _Well, yeah, I suppose she sort of had a point. But that was before I snapped the hell out of 'self-centric pity and hatred of everyone else' mode and smelled the coffee._

Chloe frowned as she read the final paragraph over, trying to make sure the words on the page fit the scene replaying in her head, that moment in time that was almost their last together.

> _I think I've never been more certain I was going to die. Not where Damon was concerned, nor Sheldon, nor any of the times I just wanted to take a knife to my throat. We were rolling along, gazing into each other's eyes (yeah, great driving style Chloe...) and a semi came out of a side alley. I hit the brakes, which made no difference as we were basically on top of the damn thing. We hit the side of the semi cab, I was being thrown forward, Max was about to go through the windshield._
> 
> _Something happened._
> 
> _I don't know why, or how. Time literally went backwards. We ended up back three hundred yards down the street, well before the semi pulled out. My foot was still planted on the brake, so we came to a pretty quick halt. And then Max... oh my God, Max. I don't think I ever feared for anyone's life as much as I did in that moment. She was white as a sheet, blood literally pouring out of her nose. I still had a hold of her hand, and her pulse was going crazy. Then she just blinked out, and gave me a heart failure until I realised she was still breathing. She's been out of it since._
> 
> _Gotta ask her about that when she wakes up. She'll think i'm high, sure, but if she doesn't and she saw the same thing happen..._

Chloe closed the diary. The instant its cover hit the rest of the pages, her fatigue from almost twenty-four hours being awake and running at full power caught up with her, practically passing out. Her head hit the diary on the desk with a soft thud, and sleep overtook her in an instant.

* * *

_8.00 am_

"CHLOE!" Max's shriek startled Chloe awake with a cry, jerking upright from the desk and falling off the chair she had slept in. She connected with the floor with another deep thud.

"Ow, fuck!" Chloe cursed as she scraped herself off the floor to see Max sat awake, a look of terror written onto her face and drenched in sweat. She pounced onto Max, wrapping her arms around her.

"Oh my fucking God Max! Don't do that to me again, I've been fucking terrified that you wouldn't wake up!" Max slid her arms up the inside of Chloe's and peeled her away from her, at least enough so that she could breathe. Panting as she recovered from the near-crushing she had received, she tried to get more information.

"Chloe...wha...what the fuck are you... talking about?"

Chloe looked at her, incredulously. "Dude... do you not remember anything about the last day?"

Max shook her head slowly.

"Not a... wait, how the hell did I end up in your room?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Er, hello?" She questioned, tapping Max lightly on the head. "Anyone home? You moved in, technically." Max flinched, hissing in pain.

"Ah, shit!"

Chloe extended a hand to support Max as she leaned over, holding the side of her head. "Christ, sorry, did I hurt you?" Chloe babbled, her confusion turning to worry once more.

Max shook her head, teeth gritted. "No, no, just... I'm remembering things. It feels like plugged a flash drive into my- _haah_ \- head. Things are coming-" she stopped, sucking in a breath through her teeth as another jab of pain went through her head. "Back to me."

Chloe sat back , taking Max's hands in hers. "Okay. Okay. Let's start... wherever you remember from."

"I... remember- wait, my parents signed off on Joyce becoming my guardian! I'm meant to be moving in permanently, right?" Max exclaimed.

Chloe nodded. "You betcha. That was yesterday, anything else you remember?"

"Y...yeah, kinda. We were travelling along the road." Max paled. "We crashed. Didn't we?"

Chloe grimaced. 

_How the fuck do I answer that, without her thinking I need to be condemned to an asylum?_

"I....uhm..."

"Chloe. Did we or did we not?"

Chloe gulped. "Yes...and no. We hit a semi- it  _did_ appear from nowhere this time. I was certain we were dead. And... then things went backward. Like, a video tape rewinding." Max gave her a suspicious glare.  _Ah, crap._

"Chloe, are you high or something? That doesn't work in the real world. Hell, you're the scientist, you should know."

Chloe gave her a sly grin. "Technically, relativity says it can-" she stopped as Max growled with pain and flopped back onto the bed. Chloe lay down, cradling her as best she could.

"Still awake?" She asked, softly.

Max nodded, groaning. "Yeah... sorry for doubting you." Chloe's eyebrows furrowed as she failed to grasp Max's point.

"Doubting me on what?"

"That... going back in time thing, kinda. I'm starting to see it again. It's blurry. Just a red, patchy blur."

Chloe huffed a laugh. "No surprises there. I was scared you were gonna bleed out through your frickin' nose for a minute afterwards. I was scared..." the words caught in her throat. She bowed her head and averted Max's gaze, which only stood to affirm Max's guess.

"But I'm not." She gave a wry grin. "No way you're getting rid of me that easily. Weird fucky universe things or not." Chloe raised her head a little, a faint smile at Max's attitude to what had happened. Chloe's heart jumped as it occurred to her that Max's memory blank might've wiped another important piece of information.

"Do you... remember anything about the concert? Ina Morata?"

Max shrugged. "A little. Don't really remember much beyond breaking Callum's face, and us...kissing. Wait, are we, dating?" Max asked, surprised at the memory being in her mind.

Chloe was torn between telling Max honestly what had happened, and dealing with Max trying to understand their love, or telling her that nothing was going on between the two of them, yet. She still hadn't figured out how she  _really_ felt about Max, this new Max who was so much more different to the one she'd had a crush on all that time ago. She still needed to get her head around this new persona that Max had become.  _And I don't think relationships work out so well if you don't fully understand the other guy- or gal. I should know._

"Uh... no, not yet." Chloe gave Max a nervous smile, hoping she wouldn't see through it. She didn't.

"Huh. Suppose that's one thing we might have to change sometime, right?" Max commented, with an impish grin. Chloe nodded, standing up.

"Er, yeah. Now, if you can avoid passing out or having a nose-period for ten, I'm going out for a smoke." Max sniffed at the air in the room.

"Smells like you already smoke in here. Don't stop on account of me." Chloe rubbed her head as she grabbed her jacket. 

"Duh, you've just woken up from some wack-ass time travel induced nap. I'd rather not fuck up your brain cells any more than I have to." With that, and having surreptitipusly concealed the diary, she headed out the door, leaving Max to herself.

Max lay back on the bed, getting all the memories of the last two days straight in her head. They eventually dropped into place, but there were blanks. Like she knew what was meant to be there, but her brain had no recollection of those events even having happened. 

 _This is bizarro. I feel like I know what should be there, yet it just isn't._ Her mind cast further toward that accident, that somehow never was.

 _I... remember holding my hand up, the one that wasn't in Chloe's. It was like I had a grip on something, and then... oh, that pain. It was like a vice around my skull. But... was it me who set that in motion?_ Curiosity won her over, as she grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down the time as it was now. 8.22.

 _I must be crazy to think that this will even work. Well, let's see._ With that, she braced herself for the likely pain, and slowly raised her hand, as she had done in the accident. She felt a tingling on her fingertips, like electricity. She focused on the tingling. All of a sudden, a force passed through her arm. Like she was gripping the mane of some wild beast. Her vision hazed at the edges, like a video tape rewinding. She glanced at the window, and gasped, seeing the birds fly backward. She let go of the invisible handhold, and everything returned to normal, save for a buzzing in the back of her head. She took a look at the time on the clock once more.

 _8.19. Holy shit, I'm definitely going insane. But what if I'm not, and I can actually turn back time? I gotta show Chloe this, after she's through with killing herself with another cig._ She realised how little pain there was this time, too. Slowly, the fragments she had so far were clicking into place.

 _Of course. I just rewound myself this time. Compared to me, Chloe and a truck, that's no effort at all. Wait, I can drag Chloe back in time too!_ She paused as she heard footsteps at the door. An impish grin emerged on her face.

_Let's see how this works, exactly._

* * *

Chloe closed the sliding door behind her, leaning against the wall. She knew exactly why she had come out here, and it wasn't to smoke. No, that was just a ploy to avoid Max's suspicion. She slid down the wall, taking her face in her hands as she begun sobbing quietly.

_You had the chance. Right there, you coulda just outed all of how you felt about her, everything. And now you're fucking lying to her. Fuck, it's just like Rachel all over again. How long before you fuck this one up then, bright spark?_

_How long before you drive her away as well?_

She glanced up at the garden in front of her, remembering the last time the pair had been here. Her stood atop that frame, 'the pirate ship', Max playing along as always. A lone hawk swooped low over the objects, probably in search of its next meal.

 _Why does this have to be so hard? Why can't it be like it always was, like when we were kids?_ She stayed sat there for a little while longer, drying her eyes as best she could. Her lack of sleep concealed the trace of her tears well enough though. She stood back up, and dusted herself off, before drawing a cigarette from the battered packet.

  _Might as well make it seem like I have had a toke at the least._

* * *

Chloe came back into the room to find the bed empty. Well, kinda: Max was there for a  second, and then she wasn't. Like some kind of glitch in the universe. Before she had a chance to take this in, she felt a pair of hands grab her from behind, one around her waist, the other reaching over her right shoulder and grabbing hold of the left side of her body. A pair of legs wrapped around hers, catching her off guard and taking her off-balance. Her movement forward carried her over toward the floor.

"Aaah!" She cried out, stumbling over and dragging her assailant onto the floor with a thud and mischievous giggle as she face-planted the carpet. Her legs were released from the grip on them as was her body, as a brown-haired and freckle-faced head appeared in her view, upside-down to her.

"Boo! Gotcha there." Chloe clutched her chest, genuinely terrified. 

"Fuck, you nearly gave me a heart attack! I thought you were an intruder! How the fuck did you do that?" She sat up, gesticulating wildly. "I mean, you were over there, and suddenly-" Max cackled away as she covered Chloe's mouth. Chloe's heart raced even faster than it had in the split second before she chose to keep the truth of that night at the concert from Max.

"I figured out how that accident-that-didn't happen, er, didn't happen." Max stated, a triumphant tone in her voice. "I can control time." Chloe cracked up, laughing away.

"Oh my God, and you said I was fucking high!" Her laughing gradually subsided as she realised that Max was completely serious. And somewhat impatient. "Wait, you're serious."

Max nodded. "Uh-huh. As serious as I am when I say I have your lighter and left sock." Max stated with a grin. 

"Yeah, whatev..." Chloe tailed off, as her search for the lighter turned up nothing. A sudden burst of warmth in her face, and a bright orange flame. She shot backward 

"WAAH! Max, seriously, what the fuck?" Max cackled as she doused the lighter and dangled the pink sock in front of Chloe, turning her a little red with embarrassment.

"Believe me now?" Chloe stared at her, unbelieving.

"Okay, okay, so you can thieve things. How the fuck does that explain us not being plastered to the side of a truck yesterday?"

"Think I got that figured too. Take my hand, and I'll show you." Max extended her left hand, which Chloe grasped her hand, and Max gave her a smile.

"Do you trust me?" Chloe hesitated. 

"Do I get a-" she was silenced by a sudden pulsing in her head. Her vision took on that hue that it had when they cheated death the previous day. The door in front of her closed again, back to how it was two minutes earlier. The hawk that had swooped past her as she sat sobbing away flew backwards. A couple of moments later, it stopped again. Max pitched forward with a slight grunt of pain.

"Yeah... hurts a lot less when it's just me rewinding. But, hey, it's way more fun to drag you along for the ride."

Chloe scrambled back a little, shocked. 

"Whoa....holy fucking shitballs, dude!"

Max gave her a knowing smirk. "Told ya so." Chloe mock-bowed, extending her arms as though to pray toward Max. Max grabbed her arms and put them on her knees as she sat in front of Chloe, surprising her slightly.

"Now, what does my captain desire we do with such power?" Chloe smiled, yawning loudly.

Well... I've had exactly one hour's sleep since yesterday, and I'm fucked. Would it be too much to ask for a little shuteye." Max giggled. 

"Fine, sloth, you get your beauty sleep." Chloe smiled at her as she flopped onto the bed, flinching imperceptibly as Max lay half on top of her.

 _I have to tell her sometime. But when am I going to get a chance like that again?_ Chloe asked herself as her eyelids crashed down over her eyes as though they had bricks attached to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've decided that I'm gonna set the ball rolling on both this and _Alias Red Deer_ , both of which were not intended to be started until _A New Horizon_ was complete. However, I can get both of these new stories rolling a lot more easily tjan the latter as I actually have something of a plan for them. That, and I actually kinda like writing them a little more (no, I'm not about to orphan _Horizon_ , promise!)
> 
> As far as Max and Blackwell is concerned, it gets covered a little later. My headcanon is that the results of her homeschooling are good enough that she doesn't have to start immediately. There will be some Blackwell, though.
> 
> Hopefully you guys like where we're headed so far. Yes, the diary entry was necessary so as to fully capture some of Chloe's thoughts from Part I.
> 
> P.S. sorry if the way that Max breaks the powers to Chloe seems a little odd and off the usual. It just felt a little bit more fittingnto the style of the story, even if it is dissimilar to the canon reveal of those powers. Helped a little by Chloe having experienced the powers too the last time.


	2. First Contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe has an idea. She thinks it's great: Max... well, she has a pretty good idea of how this would go. _would_ go, if she didn't have these powers to experiment with. Cue rewind shenanigans, and an awkward encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Sorry it's taken so long to write this chapter. Been working on it for a while, but illness and 4 assignments don't make for a spectacularly easy run. As it is I'm meant to be working on said assignments and not writing (yeah, rebel much Blackadder?)

_16th February 2011_

_10.15 am_

_Blackwell Parking Lot_

"Chloe, are you  _sure_ this is a good idea?" Max questioned, cautious in regard to the idea. She'd already figured out roughly how this plan was going to end at any rate, given the terms on which Chloe had parted company with the place. Even as Max sat slightly agape at the building, Chloe was still going over the plan, as though she hadn't done so half a dozen times on the way here. Part of her had regretted even mentioning it to Chloe when she woke up the previous afternoon. They'd been chilling out, putting some snacks together and trying not to set fire to the kitchen, when Max had mentioned it.

_"I'm... still kinda nervous about this whole thing. Going there, trying to fit in. What if I bump into your ex? No way in hell that'll end well." Chloe looked up from the bacon sandwich she was eviscerating, swallowing the chunk of bread that was in her mouth. A grin started to appear on her face, and Max distinctly remembered cursing herself in retrospect. Naturally, this would've been Chloe's plan._

_"Well... I have an idea. I think it can work, with my people skills and your 'gift'." Max raised a questioning eyebrow, a less than amused expression on her face._

_"Why do I get the feeling that I'm gonna regret mentioning anything?"_

So, Chloe had filled her in on the plan. Which was why they had gotten up a little earlier than planned, and gone to Blackwell before morning recess. Even as Max had tried to talk her out of it, Chloe had fired back with her own argument. Max couldn't deny her logic, sure, but after the fractious terms Chloe left on almost a year ago- that she'd told her about, anyway- she was feeling ever more uneasy about things.

"Let's face it, Maxi: you're gonna need someone who knows this place. Knows the people. Knows how to beat them at their own game. Besides, I could piss the entry exams if I put my mind to it again."

 _Well, this is more impressive than the brochures made it look._ She grimaced a little at the thought of re-entering a public- _if you consider Blackwell 'public'_ \- scheme of education. Chloe picked up on the grimace, to Max's partial annoyance.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Max shrugged, a slight frown on her face. 

"Nothing, just... it's been nearly two years since I was actually  _in_ school, technically. And I don't do cliques, in case you didn't figure that out." Chloe feigned shock, putting a hand to her chest. 

"Well, colour me surprised. Duh, I figured all of this already. That's why my plan is so good." Max raised a questioning, somewhat cynical eyebrow.

"Yeah: go in there and beg this Wells asshole for your scholarship back. Don't get me wrong, it'd be totally awesome to go through high school together. But, given what you've told me of what happened to that scholarship of yours the first time..." Chloe shushed her. 

"I know, I know. That's why you're coming with me. So that if I say something stupid- or smash his bald head against the desk- you can rewind and we get another run at it." 

"Chloe, we don't even know the limits of my powers yet!" Max rebutted, raising her voice slightly in worry. "And I don't think me passing out and making a bloodied mess of his office will go down great for either of us. Also, what's to say this power doesn't have some kinda repercussions? Y'know,'End of the fucking world' kinda repercussions, or some weird shit like that?" Chloe huffed.

"Really, you gotta stop watching anime. That shit only happens in anime, aaand maybe the occasional video game. Still, this is better than my backup plan."

"That being?" Max asked, slightly apprehensive as to what Chloe would say next. Likely 'rob a bank to pay for scholarship.' That wasn't her plan, but it was arguably worse. Chloe gave her a half-plotting, half-awkward smile.

"I dress up as a dog, and pretend I'm your service animal." Max groaned, covering her head as she tapped her head against the dashboard.

"That is the worst plan I have ever heard! And since when were you a frickin' furry?" Chloe opened her mouth to answer back, but Max beat her to it, a palm clamping firmly over her mouth as she tried to reply.

"In fact, don't answer, ugh. Is 'my best friend is a furry' grounds to disown them, I wonder?" Max grinned deviously at Chloe's shocked expression written on her eyes.

"Duh, kidding Chloe." Max murmured as she detached her hand from Chloe's mouth. Chloe simply gave her a knowing grin.

"Takes one to know one, Max." She deadpanned, before bursting into a fit of laughter. Max scowled at her, before fishing about on the floor for something.

"Whatcha looking for?" Chloe asked, before shrieking quietly with surprise as Max burst up from her search with a roll of duct tape that she forgot she still had, a memento of certain 'experimenting' she had done with Rachel.

"I think this is the safest option for taking you in there. I talk, you sit with your mouth taped shut." Max said with a chuckle she thrust a length of tape toward Chloe's mouth. Chloe tried to bat it away, instead causing Max to miss her mouth and get the tape firmly stuck in her fringe. Chloe groaned as she stared at the roll of tape now dangling in front of her .

"Great." Max chuckled, as she reached for the camera sat by her side.

Chloe pointed at her, her face a picture of both mild anger and shock. "Don't you fucking..."

 _*CLICK*_ The shutter snapped down before Chloe had a chance to finish, to a howl of laughter from Max, who promptly lurched backward against her door to avoid the arm clawing at the camera and photo.

"That's one for the scrapbook!" Max noted aloud, slotting them safely away in her bag, laughing all the while. Chloe tenderly attempted to separate the tape from her hair, with a number of quiet mutterings of 'ow' as the tape attempted to take her hair with it. Max reached over, yanking the tape from her hair in one slick motion. Surprisingly, only a few strands came away in the process. It was still enough to elicit a loud yelp and a furious scowl from Chloe.

"AH! Max, jesus christ on a fucking moped! The fuck was that for?" Max grinned, wryly.

"Worked, didn't it? Besides, what the hell do you need this for, seeing as it sure as shit ain't for fixing this wreck on wheels?"

Chloe scowled for a moment. "Ahem, this 'wreck on wheels'," she airquoted, "got me all the way up to find your sorry ass and back. Besides, there's other uses to duct tape than just fixing things." She smirked, wiggling her eyebrows. Max howled loudly with displeasure, cupping her face in her hands.

"Forget I asked. God, how depraved do you get, and is there a factory reset button?"

Chloe sighed. "Ouch, kink shame much? Don't knock it till you try it." She chuckled, as Max blindly batted her in the arm. "C'mon, let's get this over with before recess. I  _really_ don't wanna hang around, assuming my  _ex_ still actually attends this dump." Max nodded.

"Agreed. The less time we spend here, the less uses I'll find for this duct tape. Like taping you and her together and seeing how long you can stand each other for. My money is on five minutes. Five minutes between taping you together and one of you tearing the other's spleen out. And I'm not totally certain as to who would be doing what there." Chloe laughed, flipping her the bird.

"Please: do I look like a pushover?"

"Yes." Max answered with another smirk at Chloe's startled expression. "Now, let's go get this over with already."

* * *

Sure enough, the hallways were abandoned, on account of it still being the middle of class. Save for the odd student floating between class and the bathrooms, the two would be forgiven for thinking the school had already finished for the day. Which, as Max had pointed out previously, would probably have been a better time to execute this plan. Chloe shrugged.

"Dude, chill. Besides, we're in this far. No point turning back now." Max shook her head, blowing out through a small gap in her lips.

"Yeah. In this far, and probably about to find ourselves neck deep in shit. Just as well we have a lifeline, huh?" Chloe poked her in the ribs as they approached the door to Principal Wells' office. Chloe huffed.

"Amazing the drunken ass hasn't been fired yet." As she muttered this, the door swung open to reveal a dark-skinned man, roughly five feet ten, stood there. Arms folded across his grey suit. And- ugh- that same tasteless style of shirt. What kind of self-respecting principal wears a colour like that?

"Chloe Price. What business have you here, other than to slander my name? If I remember rightly, you were expelled from this institution almost a year ago. And, you are technically in arrears for the cleaning costs of the bathrooms after your _artwork_ was removed." The voice of the man boomed down onto them, every bit as condescending as Chloe remembered.

"Principal Wells. How good to smell you again. Whiskey, or just plain old vodka?" Max rolled her eyes and grabbed Chloe's hand, dragging her a little ways back down the corridor.

"The fuck, dude?" She spat out at Max, before the rewind kicked in. Chloe grimaced a little with pain, a jabbing in the back of her head.

"Ah! Jeez, did you just fucking smack me round the head?" Max shrugged.

"What?" Chloe frowned at her again.

"Apparently not. Just that... pain, like someone's jabbing a chopstick into the back of your skull. ugh, it feels like shit. Why'd you rewind us, anyway?" Max gave her a flat stare, before rubbing her face with one hand.

"You called him a drunken ass, and then outed him as a drunk just for good measure, remember? Not sure that's the  _best_ way of convincing him to let you come back. Oh, and welcome to my world: maybe now you'll appreciate us doing as few rewinds as possible." Chloe shrugged, squeezing Max's hand just enough to make her gasp slightly.

"Yeah, yeah. Totally worth the death-stare. Take Two?"

"More like two-hundred at this rate. Still, God loves a trier." Max quipped as they unlocked hands and approached the door once more. This time, it was already open, the figure stood in the doorway. Max cut Chloe off, opening conversation.

"Good morning, Principal." His initial stony expression gave way to confusion, as he racked his brain for whom this young woman in front of him was.

"I don't believe we've met yet, Miss..."

"Max. Max Caulfield. I transferred down from Seattle, I'm meant to be starting next week." She filled in the blanks. She heard a faint 'huh' from him, before he turned his attention to Chloe.

"Miss Price. Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but you were expelled from this institution almost a year ago. What business have you on campus grounds?"

"None of your business, that's what!" Chloe exclaimed, smirking. She smile slowly died on her face as she registered the look on Max's face.

"Miss Price!" Chloe glanced at him, rolling her eyes as she realised her monumental fuck-up.

"Ah, fuck. Take Three?" Before Wells could respond, Max grabbed her hand once more, and dropped the pair back before her smart-mouthing.

"...usiness have you on campus grounds?" Wells repeated. Chloe thought for a moment, trying to figure out what the best wording would be.

"Uhm... I've... come to ask whether I could... return to school?" Chloe uttered, nervously. Wells simply raised an eyebrow.

"You  _do_ understand the meaning of the word 'expelled', I hope?" Chloe resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the level of downtalking that was being done right now.  _I kinda let myself in for it, if I'm honest. Fuck you Rachel._  

"Uh...yeah, but-"

"There are no 'buts', Miss Price. You were expelled, and that is the end of the matter. Even if the expulsion was not the problem, your defacing of the facilities here simply cannot be excused." Wells shot her down. Chloe opened her mouth to fire back, but was again cut off by Max.

"Principal, I understand that Chloe did some  _incredibly_ irresponsible things, which ultimately saw her thrown out. I can assure you, she has changed. Is it too much to ask for her to be given another opportunity?" Wells looked almost conflicted, the sudden burst of rationale from Max resonating.

"Well, why haven't you attempted to apply to any of the other schools and academies around the Bay?"

"Because the other schools are sh....ockingly bad. This place was actually good as far as teaching was concerned." Chloe explained, only barely catching herself as she went. "And I  _promise_ that I'll actually show up and work this time." Wells stared at her, the lack of belief written onto his face.

"And how do I know you will keep up your end of the bargain?" Chloe was a little taken aback, unsure how to properly answer the question. Luckily, Max had already formulated an answer.

"Because, and excuse the language Principal, I will personally kick her ass from here to Maine and back if she screws up like I hear she did last time. That, and if I catch her going _NEAR_ a hard surface with a sharpie, I will be making sure she scrubs every dot of ink clean." Both Wells' eyebrows shot up, surprised at the response. His eyes switched from one to the other, slowly, before he signed in resignation.

"Very well. However, I will be keeping you under tight scrutiny, Miss Price. You can be sure of that. Welcome back to Blackwell Academy." He stated, begrudgingly. "I implore you, do not make me regret my decision." Max mouthed a 'thank you' in his direction as she dragged Chloe away again, before she could endanger any of what they'd achieved.

* * *

 

As soon as they were out of earshot, Chloe quietly squealed with joy.

"Fucking yes! We did it. And in only three takes, too." Max scratched the back of her neck with a nervous laugh. Chloe stared at her, her expression shifting from joy to confusion, and finally settling in a passive-aggressive expression. "Right? I only counted three. Max...?"

"Uhm... five. I kinda had to rewind twice on my own." Chloe stopped, crossing her arms. She narrowed her eyes at Max.

"The fuck, I thought we were partners in this!" Max held up her hands in near-frustration, blowing off a little steam as she did.

"Look, the second time was because you cussed him out so bad, you made Bagpipes from Baghdad look clean. So, I just had to go back and cut you off."

Chloe raised a suspicious eyebrow. "And the first?" Max's nervous laugh picked up an octave from what it had been, and Chloe was sure she saw a few beads of sweat.

"I, er... may have had to smack you round the head a couple times... for all the cussing. Hey, can you blame me!" Chloe grabbed Max in a bear-hug, squeezing the breath out of her again as payback.

"Ow, ow....okay, I'm...sorry!" Chloe eased up her grip, and Max breathed in like she'd never done it before. "Jeeesus... Chloe, you like trying to hug me to death?" Chloe chuckled, as she took Max's hand again.

"Hey, it's a vicious circle: you get free hits on me, I give you the Anaconda hug and you don't get to rewind it away. Since when did you listen to Mathers, anyway?"

"I don't. Just heard it on the radio a couple times. Not a song you forget, is it?" Chloe gave an approving nod.

"Hell no. Whaddaya think of it?" Max smiled.

"Honestly? How in the bejeezus did anyone convince a radio station to play that?" Chloe smirked as she kept the embrace going, rubbing her head against Max's. The school bell went, marking the beginning of morning recess. Chloe cursed, separating herself and Max.

"Well, we'd better get outta here before..." the rest of the sentence was cut short by the form coming striding out of the classroom door. That same swagger, as though she ruled the place. That same happy-go-lucky expression. Well, the expression changed as the two locked eyes, that was a definite. Max glanced between the two as the other girl closed in on them. More to the point, she took in this figure, whom Max could only surmise was Rachel.

_God, Chloe. Taste in girlfriends for looks? Check. Ability to choose a girlfriend who won't murder you when you break up? Er, pass_

"Ah, fuck." That pair of hazel eyes staring back at her, Chloe could've sworn they glowing at the edge of the irises with fury. As Chloe took in the sight closing in fast, she failed to gauge just how close her incensed ex was. A blur and a whooshing, as her right arm came round in a circular motion. Chloe braced herself, expecting a palm to connect with the side of her face and leave a welt. But it never made contact; instead, a duller smack and surprised gasp. Max stood off to Chloe's side and between the pair, grasping Rachel behind the wrist. Her stare was like ice, yet instead of hatred or fury to match, the expression on Max's features was completely blank. Like a sphinx. It unnerved Rachel as much as it did Chloe.

"Nobody gets free hits on Chloe except me." She flatly spoke as she forced Rachel's arm down, away from its trajectory toward Chloe's face, pulling her hand back as she released Rachel's. "I suppose you must be Chloe's  _ex_ -girlfriend. Rachel, was it?" The commotion had attracted a small crowd of students by now, a few audibly gasping at this trinket of information. Chloe gave Max a nervous half-smile. Max didn't need anything more to know what that look meant.

_Er... that isn't- wasn't- really public knowledge dude._

Max raised her head slightly, mouth slightly agape in realisation.

"Ah. Awkward." She shrugged, before continuing. "So, Rach, what grounds have you to try and smack Chloe?" Rachel glared at her.

"Oh, so 'cheating to fuck' isn't a valid reason any more? Seems legit." Max huffed with discontent.

"Obviously you forgot that to cheat, you gotta be  _going out with them."_ Max whispered theatrically, loud enough that it could still be heard as though spoken normally. "Don't worry, I got the full scoop there." She blew her a kiss, winking. If Rachel hadn't wanted Max dead on the spot, there and then, she sure as shit did now. A few more gasps from the ever-increasing crowd. Not that Max was paying attention to them, beyond a slight awareness of the human ring around the trio. Max was more bothered about keeping things as peaceful as she could.

"You better watching your fucking back. This is not over, you mark my fucking words. I  _will_ get you!" Rachel hissed at her. "And you as well." She stared at Chloe, who could feel her heart jumping a few beats ahead. Far from perturbed, Max chuckled.

"I already got my back covered, right?" She glanced back at Chloe, giving her a beaming grin. Chloe shook off the surprise and slight fear of Rachel's threat- and how little it had disturbed Max- and smiled back at her, and then Rachel. Rachel's eyes widened slightly in shock, and her skin went a shade or two lighter. Not that anyone noticed, besides Chloe.

"Uh-huh." Chloe confirmed. Max released her grip on Rachel, taking a pace toward Chloe and taking her hand. "And, uh, yes. I do believe this is over, Rachel. Farewell, and may we never meet again on this side of hell." Max finished her statement, giving her a wave, as Chloe blew her a bird as was so Chloe to do. Rachel stood frozen in shock for a moment or two, not entirely sure how to respond to the verbal pimp-slapping she'd just been given. A few moments later, she turned away, fighting a path through the small crowd that had witnessed this new student, this  _nobody_ (to them, Chloe thought) light Rachel Amber the fuck up.

They managed to fight their way through the crowd and out into the fresh air once more. Chloe turned to Max as they got to the truck.

"Holy shit! M...ax is a badass!" She exclaimed, knocking the 'my' part off as she realised what would happen. Max smiled, though Chloe could see she wasn't looking a little bit off-colour and wasn't that steady on her feet.

"How many rewinds?" Max grunted, uncomfortably.

"I stopped counting after six. It was worth it, though. Now we're both definitely on her shit list... and..." Max stopped a couple of feet from the truck, swaying on her feet.

"Max?" Max put a hand up to her nose, feeling a cool sensation. Her hand came away with rivulets of blood on it.

"Ah, shit... here we go..." Max mumbled, as consciousness left her once more.

"Max? MAX!" Chloe cried out, barely catching her as she slumped.

"Max, not again! Please, wake up! Ma-"

* * *

_"Max...." A distinctly deeper and more masculine voice overwrote Chloe's, albeit foggy. Max's eyes opened to reveal a room of some kind. It was on its side- no, she was on her side. She attempted to push her hands against the floor and sit up, finding them unresponsive. A click of a shutter from elsewhere in the room. Her eyes took in what few details existed: white walls; a sofa of some kind a bit further away; and some pictures on the wall, too far away and too dark to make out._

_"Perfect...now, hold...that position." The voice swum in her head, closer this time._ _She sluggishly inspected her arms, finding duct tape wrapped around her wrists. She fought against it, trying desperately to pull it apart, to no effect. She squirmed her legs, finding the same to be true of them._

_At last, her tormentor came into her line of sight. He was well-dressed, a crisp shirt, and black trousers. The lighting made it impossible for Max to make out his face, it was a dark shadow to her._

_"Remember....always...take...the shot..." Another click._

_"MAX! You fucked up my shot! Max! M-"_

* * *

"-ax! Fuck, you almost made me crash there! Sleep-screaming a thing with you?" Chloe's voice mercifully returned. Max's eyes slowly flickered open, warm sunlight contrasting the cool air flowing in through the window. The blurry vision of the room was superseded by the busted and quaint interior of Chloe's truck, complete with bobblehead and floormat covering a gaping hole in the floor. Max groaned a little as she sat up, realising as she did that her head had been resting on Chloe's lap.

 _Even from this angle she looks so beautiful... wait, what the hell am I doing lying here anyway? Suggestive much?_ She shot Chloe a curious glance.

"Chloe... why was I using your leg as a pillow?" A shrug in response. 

"Seemed the best idea. Hey, my leg is probably a lot softer than that door. Plus, no playing pinball off of it with the state of some of the roads. Not exactly good for a brain-busted time traveller." Max felt that there was something more to it than the simple fact of a leg being better than a door as a cushion, but she let the topic drop.

"How long was I out?" Chloe smiled. 

"Good to see you're actually coherent this time. Only about ten minutes. Damn, you're improving on your times, I gotta say. So..." she said, sliding closer to Max, "care to elaborate on what was making you scream?" Max looked out of the windshield as she recalled what that...whatever it was, was about. She flinched as she thought about the figure, and the tape.

"I...was tied up. Taped up, even, in some kind of room." Chloe gave a wolf whistle.

"And here you were kink-shaming an hour ago. Do tell." Max gave her a concerned look.

"Not tied up in an enjoyable way. It was almost as though... I'd been kidnapped or something. There was a man in the room..." She shivered, thinking back over the few details. "Photographing me. Like I was some piece of art." Chloe's playful smirk slowly backed down to a pensive frown.

"Well, shit. That sounds rapey if I'd never seen it before. My bad, but I got something to make up for it with." She turned Max's body until she could see the view out of her window. Max gasped, turning back toward Chloe as it dawned on her.

"No! No fucking way we're here!" Chloe nodded frenetically, a mad grin on her face.

"You bet your bony ass we are, sista! Now, can you walk or am I gonna carry that ass up the hill?"

* * *

As it turned out, Max's legs were still a little weak and her head spun as she stood up out of the truck, forcing her to cling to the door. Chloe stood behind her and scooped her into her arms in one slick motion, making Max squeal with surprise and- if Chloe wasn't mistaken- enjoyment. Chloe may well have almost slipped on her ass a number of times as she lugged Max up the hill, who was counting, but the reward was worth it. Max wriggled about in her arms, prompting her to put her down gently. Max stood shakily on her legs again, leaning against Chloe for additional support. Max took in the scene in front of her, finding that it was almost exactly as she'd left it. The lighthouse still stood vigil over the Bay, its paint still sharp as ever, unlike the detritus that was most of the town. The mapboard that still marked the location of their 'Pirate Hideout', which neither had been to since...before then. Chloe wrapped an arm around her. She was glad that Max was more taken in by the view than by her companion, as Chloe fought against herself once more.

 _Tell her._ The voice in her head commanded.

_No._

_Tell. Her._

_No! Fuck off, I'll tell her when I'm ready to._

_...which will be never, chickenshit._

Chloe shook off those thoughts as quickly as she could. No way having a meltdown in front of Max would go down well. 

"I take it you like it?" Chloe asked Max, who turned around and hugged Chloe around the waist, gazing up with those deep blue eyes, that Chloe constantly found she lost herself in every time she gazed into them. 

"Chloe, you are the best! This place looks just like it used to!" Chloe smiled, losing herself in the eyes staring up her chest.

"I know. Almost nobody ever comes here. They dunno what they're missing out on, that's certain. It's one hell of a view."

Max smiled, taking her hand as they slowly paced toward a bench, overlooking the bay. The view was as good as Max ever remembered, the midday sun beaming down and casting a few shadows out to sea. Max got her camera back out of the bag. Chloe nudged her in the ribs.

"Not planning on tossing me onto the cliff's edge and taking a photo, are ya?" Max gave her a sideways glance, which Chloe clearly read as saying  _'what the fuck is wrong with you?',_ which cracked her up a little with laughter. "I know you're not, chillax." Max took the camera in one hand, flipping it round to face the pair. 

"Smile, and try not to break my lens." Chloe gasped a little in surprise.

"You cheeky b-"

 _*CLICK*_ Max beamed as the Polaroid developed. Both their faces were illuminated brilliantly, the scenery behind them crisp. Max was wearing a cheeky, devilish smile. Chloe was mid sentence in cussing Max out. She showed Chloe it as she chuckled.

"Definitely one for the scrapbook." She noted, hugging Chloe round the waist. She stood up, somewhat steadier than before. "Now, if you'll excuse me for a mo, I wanna have a look around and see what's not changed. Gives you chance for another smoke, anyway." With a wink, she strolled off toward the treeline, leaving Chloe to look out over the Bay. As soon as she was out of sight, Chloe bowed her head down, arms resting on her knees. She tore her beanie off her head, batting herself in the temple with a palm, cursing herself again and again.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid. You had a great chance, a fucking perfect shot at owning up to her and you blew it. How long before you fucking admit it to her, huh? How many fucking skeletons in the closet?"

* * *

As soon as Max was sure she was out of sight and sound of Chloe, she slumped behind a tree trunk, bordering on hyperventilation. She was surprised and amazed that Chloe hadn't noticed her heart pounding away like it was. Max was scared that she would, that she'd start asking questions that Max didn't want to answer for her.

_I...I know Chloe has dated another girl before. But... does she like me...like that? What if I tell her how I feel about her, and she doesn't feel the same way? Would she even be able to look at me again, see me the same way she does now?_

Max tilted her head back, resting it against the sturdy maple. A few deep breaths, and she had everything more or less back down toward normal levels.

 _I can't take that risk. Not yet, not until I know for sure._ She dusted herself down, wiped her face to make sure there were no tears or anything on her face, and headed back up the hill to find her companion.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes Alex, I'll take "Shameless Lampshading of the source material" for $500. It had to be done, I think you'll agree.  
> Betcha didn't expect me to come up with this as the direction we were gonna head in. I know, arms will be near-dislocated from the stretch, but it isn't impossible, right? Plus, who doesn't love a little Blackwell drama? (Well, this'll be new for me anyway as nothing I've written yet really touches on the place).  
> And yeah, ain't that nice and poetic? Chloe loves Max but is scared to tell her, Max is falling in love with Chloe (again) but is scared to tell her.  
> As for why Chloe kept what _actually_ happened after the gig secret, that'll come out soon. Always remember: Max is nosy: coupled with time-travel powers, she is a threat to everyone's privacy ;)  
> Ciao for now!


	3. Food for Thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max tries to come to terms with everything going on in her head over a meal in her and Chloe's second home, as well as an involuntary introduction to a possible future rival. Meanwhile, Chloe tries to work up the courage to confess her feelings to Max. Key word: "tries".

Max gazed vacantly out of the window as the truck rattled back toward town. Since the clifftop, her mind had been racing over every detail going through her head. The way that Chloe seemed to be stumbling over certain words; her awkwardness around certain things Max did; a near-aversion to even looking her in the eye. That, and her own feelings. Or, she assumed that they were hers. She just couldn't remember when or if they had come about: one minute, there was nothing; the next, she could have married Chloe on the spot. None of it made any sense with the memories she had regained up to now.

 _I just don't get it. I know I've always liked Chloe as a friend- who wouldn't?- but sudden feels for her like this, like we are something more? That can't be spontaneous._ She glanced over at Chloe, who was focusing on the task of driving and not killing them both. Even now, she could see, and practically hear, the machinations in Chloe's head. But what?

_What could she possibly have to hide from me, of all people? And more importantly, why the hell should she need to lock it away in the back of her mind?_

"You eyeing me up, Caulfield?" The statement caught Max off guard. She blinked a couple of times, blushing madly and averting the gaze from the corner of Chloe's eye.

_Shit! How the fuckballs can she watch me AND the road? Argh!_

Chloe cackled away at her reaction. "Yep, I don't need my eyes checked. We can take it as read that they still work." Max smiled through her reddened complexion, looking back out of the window. They were coming into the outskirts of town. Despite being in town for two days or so already, this was actually her first time seeing all of this, on account of her two major blackouts, á la time warp. It wasn't like she remembered, not at all. Sure, the fishing industry hadn't been all that healthy back before she left, but it wasn't nearly as bad as this. Where there were dozens of boats once over, there now stood a handful. Eight at most, assuming each mast was a separate boat. The docks, once a bustling hive of activity, now stood abandoned, with barely a soul in sight. She turned her attention to the buildings that now obscured the waterfront: they too were a picture of abandonment. The shops that once sold the produce brought in by the trawlers looked like they had closed long ago, judging by the copious amounts of graffiti on the shutters. Even the streets, once virtually pristine and pretty, had become litter-strewn and neglected. It was as if the town had stopped caring about itself and let go.

 _Like Chloe. Until she found my sorry ass again, and I kicked her onto the right track. Christ, imagine if that had never happened?_ A cold sensation ran through Max's blood as she pictured that outcome. Her, probably having found some way to off herself; Chloe, none the wiser, left in eternal hatred for her, none the wiser as to the fate of her former best friend, and damned to follow a road that lead only to her own life being destroyed. Quite possibly by the ex-girlfriend she'd no doubt have gotten back with.  _Or maybe I'm overthinking it. Sure, Chloe can be a real dumbass, but she'd never have let things get that bad, right? Besides, she's smart enough to see right through that vindictive bullshit. I think._

"Chloe..." Max begun with a slightly weak voice, trying to word the question in her head. Chloe raised an eyebrow, glancing at Max out of the corner of her eye.

"Yeees?"

"What the actual hell happened to this place? I mean, it wasn't great before... before, but this- I mean, it's like everyone upped and vanished." Chloe pursed her lips slightly.

"The Prescocks. That's what happened." Max's head rose slightly as the rusty cogs clicked into place in the back of her head, and the dusty archive that was her knowledge of the Bay area was opened properly for the first time in years.

"Ah. I remember...some of that. Weren't they some old school assholes, like aristocrats?" Chloe nodded.

"Uh huh. And they  _are_ assholes. They bought the place out, like, two years ago. Right before they laid off basically every longshoreman." Max winced.

"Ouch. Bet that went down swell." A tilt of the head from Chloe.

"You could say: those who could afford to move out did. Those who couldn't... well, let's just say they're a little bitter. In fact, really bitter. Like, think of the worst hatred you can possibly have for someone, and cube it." Chloe still remembered well that morning before Rachel talked her into skipping school. Saving Nathan Prescott, of all fucking people, from Drew. She'd often wondered how he and Mikey were getting on now: last she heard, Drew had started his football scholarship, and Mikey had managed to find another academy that wasn't as extortionate as Blackwell, thus taking a large chunk of the financial pressure off of their father. That led her down another line of thought: Steph. Chloe hadn't heard of her since her ousting from Blackwell last spring. 

_I did enjoy playing D 'n' D with her and Mikey, even when I did kinda get his arm broken by trying to play hero. And damn, if I hadn't been basically wrapped around Rachel's finger at the time, who knows? I mighta actually ended up with a pretty good relationship. Steph was never lacking in the looks department, that's cer... quit with the unfaithful thoughts, Chloe. You still gotta ask her out. Or even-_

"Earth to Chloe?" Max stated, in a child-like tone, as she shook Chloe's shoulder. Chloe blinked a couple of times, taking in everything going on around her. She'd stopped dead on an intersection, and had a number of irate drivers blasting horns at her. How she hadn't crashed during her total brain-BSOD was a mystery unto itself. She glanced around, surprised and amused at the nuisance her distraction had caused.

"Oh. Daydreaming, my bad. Adios, assholes!" She remarked with a flourish, flicking a bird out the window as she sped off along her intended route. Finally, they reached the one place that Max had been dying to go other than Chloe's house since she had come to. Even without the rose-tinted glasses, the place had barely changed. Sure, the whales on the sign were a little worse for wear than she remembered, but in general things on the outside were just as she remembered.

"Ta-daah! Told ya I knew the perfect place for us to celebrate getting one over on the playground asswipes!" Chloe stated, elated. Max beamed at her.

 _If she could be any more perfect, she'd be a fucking goddess. How the hell did the universe ever put us two together?_ Max reflected, taken in by her captain's expression, her features, the perfect lines of her face, the strands of hair that her beanie couldn't keep contained. She suppressed a hot flush she felt passing through her, knowing the stick she'd get.

_'Turned on or something?' That'd probably be how she would respond. Jee, I'm still not ready to ask her. But how long can I really afford to put things off for, given what happened the last time I hesitated about all things Chloe?_

"Does Joyce still work here?" Max asked.

"Uh-huh. And she should be on shift right around now. Imagine the surprise on her face when we tell her I got back into Blackwell." Max gave her a straight-faced look.

"Sure, give her a heart attack, why not? Then where the hell am I meant to live?" Chloe chuckled.

"Relax, she'll survive it. Besides, we'd still be able to live together, because David is...our..." Chloe slowed to a halt, as it dawned on her. Naturally, God hated her as she much as she did him, for William. So of course, David had been made her legal guardian if something happened to Joyce. She hadn't spoken to him since her pilgrimage to Seattle, but she doubted much had changed between them. That, she figured, could easily top having Hitler as a parent. "Uh, yeah. We'll break it easy to my mom. No need to give her too much stress on the old ticker, huh?" She tapped Max lightly in the upper arm with her fist, before bailing out of her door. As they walked toward the entrance, Max asked her another question that had been bugging her.

"Do you ever, y'know, lock the truck? Just wondering." Chloe snorted a laugh.

"No? The damn doors barely work, never mind lock. Besides, the beauty of my truck is that it's so battered on the outside, that most folks take one look at it and consign it to a junkyard. Nobody would ever consider stealing it, as it's probably not worth the effort. Now c'mon, I'm starving after that epic cuss-battle with Wells." With that, she directed Max toward the door, though not without noting the battered RV in one corner of the lot. 

_Great, of course fucking Frank is here. Just pray he doesn't wanna talk about anything. Or, that he's zoned the fuck out in that thing._

* * *

The duo sat down in a bay toward the far end of the diner, just like they used to. Max's face was still a picture as she walked through the door and into the main area: the jukebox looked as neglected as she remembered, yet somehow it still worked. Max slotted herself into the second-to-last bay, back facing the entrance, while Chloe attempted to coax some life out of the jukebox with a quarter, some cussing, and finally a swipe of the palm to the side of the casing. Oddly, it seemed to prefer option three, and the punkish track she'd selected started booming softly out of the speakers. She hopped up onto the bench seat opposite Max, before slotting her legs under the table. Max was still enraptured by the whole look of Chloe, every part of her. Especially what she'd done to her hair, although it was now only a few strands toward the fringe, a vivid blue streak existed. She managed to break off her dumbstruck stare before Chloe noticed.

"We gotta go see these guys again. Firewalk, they're fucking awesome." Max raised an eyebrow.

"Not 'hella' awesome?" Chloe gave her a moderate scowl.

"Hey, cut me some slack. I'm in rehab with that word, given who fucking taught me it in the first place." Max could've used the ambient seething fury Chloe internalised at the recollection as a hand warmer, she was that pissed.

"Okay. My bad, I never knew you learned it from...her. Sorry." Before either could break away fully from the topic, a figure stood at the end of the table. 

"I hope you're not trying to get another meal on your tab, Chloe. You seem to forget your scholarship is still on there." Chloe turned to her with a nervous smile. Max's smile was a whole lot less nervous, given she knew what was about to be said.

"Uh...about that, mom..." Joyce's face was a picture of utter confusion, overtaken by a more serious expression.  _Poor woman,_ Max mused with a slight smirk,  _she has no idea what's about to hit her._

"Don't tell me you've tried to burn the school down as well. Things are hard enough without trying to keep you out of the juvenile hall." 

"Well, uh...I kinda..." Chloe stammered, cursing herself internally for not having figured out in advance what she wanted to say.

"She got her scholarship back, Joyce. Well, it was kind of a team effort really, between us, but still. I think it's safe to say that old scholarship of hers can be struck off her tab." Max elaborated, saving Chloe's neck once again. The colour went out of Joyce's face slightly, her expression betraying her not knowing how to handle this information. She'd been so livid, so unimaginably angry with Chloe on that day, and at the same time disappointed that she had squandered her best shot at a future. And yet, here they were.

"Well... won't this be the day?" She finally spoke, regaining her usual complexion somewhat. She turned to Max, a smile on her face. "You're back in her life for three days and already it's being turned on its head. I always said you were a good influence on Chloe, Max. Lord knows she needs one. Leave her alone for ten minutes, and she gets herself into a world of mischief. Worse than having a puppy running around." She remarked with a chuckle. Chloe's face was a hilarious sight, a mix of annoyance and what seemed like embarrassment.

"Mom!" Max joined in Joyce's chuckle, further adding to Chloe's reddened features as she figured out why Max was finding it so funny. Eventually, the two recovered from their laughter for long enough to allow Joyce to carry on her work.

"So, what will it be today girls?" She asked them. Max pored over the menu, indecision and choice overload written onto her face. Chloe gave her a knowing smile, concealing once more the cauldron of feelings that was at boiling point inside her.

 _You may be so much different to the Max you used to be, but you're still in there. I just wish I had the fucking balls to tell you how I feel, really._  With that, she took one glance over the menu, ordering for both herself and Max. 

"I'll go with a black coffee and a hamburger, please. And Max, I think, will go with Belgian waffles. And another coffee." Max's eyes widened as she glanced up at Chloe, before turning to Joyce.

"Can she read freaking minds, now?" Max asked, in a voice a pitch or two above her normal, as she pointed at Chloe. Chloe chuckled, putting two fingers against her temple as though she were Professor X. 

"Well, I gotta have some kinda one-up on you, don't I?" She thought aloud, her elated face subtly twisting into a nervously amused one as she realised what she'd said.

 _Fucking hell, step off the gas! Might as well shout out "Max is a fucking time lord!"_. Mercifully, Joyce didn't seem to pick up on the statement. She finished off scribbling the order down on her book and headed over to the counter. As her eyes switched back from her mother to Max. Who was gazing at her, like she had never seen her before. Chloe gave her a questioning look.

"What's got your interest all of a sudden?" Max tiled her head, trying to subtly dodge the glare she was getting in return.

"Just...your hair. When the hell did you do that? I mean, I kinda noticed it earlier, but...wow. How the hell I didn't see it before..." Chloe threw her arms up with a huff.

"Really?! Of all the things you can find to talk about, my choice of hair colour tops the list? Why, does it not meet the Maximum Standard?" Chloe exclaimed in a quiet yet frustrated tone, hands gesticulating wildly as she went. Max rolled her eyes and grabbed Chloe by the wrists almost without looking, and bringing their arms to rest in a W position with their elbows on the table, locking gazes with Chloe. Chloe's eyes shot wide with surprise. Max wasn't even gripping her wrists hard, barely enough to keep them in place, yet Chloe found herself with no intention of breaking away. 

"That's not what I mean, you doofus. I...I just haven't really had chance to notice it properly, what with everything going on. And... I like it. It suits you. And it brings out the colour in your eyes even better, you know? It looks perfect, like, it almost feels more a hair colour you shoulda always had. That's all I meant." She spoke, softly. A slight glow to her cheeks, and a look in her eyes that Chloe couldn't quite decipher. Chloe was hoping to hell that Max couldn't feel her pulse through her wrists at the angle she was holding them, because if she was she'd have thought Chloe was having a panic attack. Which, all things considered, she almost was. She could feel her heart hammering against her ribs, any harder and she was sure it would punch a hole clean through. She could feel every inch of her body under her clothes lighting up like a supernova, a warmth hotter than anything she knew was possible. She felt like she never had before, not like in Seattle, not like anything she'd ever experienced with Rachel.

Her breath almost hitched in her throat as she struggled to keep all of this under control, praying in the back of her head that Max didn't notice anything.

"Uh...thanks, dude. Now, I...just need to go to the bathroom. Gimme five." She said, with a half-smile to Max, who nodded and released her. She shimmied out of the booth, shuffling as quickly and innocuously as she could toward the bathroom, and hoping to god that Max wasn't noticing anything out of place. She practically flung herself through the bathroom door, almost slamming it behind her as she went. As soon as the door had sealed out the rest of the diner and Chloe was sure that she was out of sight of Max, the cascade started.

Her breath, virtually held since Max had grabbed her wrists, returned in the form of hyperventilating. Yet instead of the usual stabbing pains she got when it came about in a panic attack, this felt softer, gentler. Like there was a blanket wrapping round her under the skin. And then she noticed the heat going through her once more, like someone had set off The Bomb inside her. An ache coursed through her body, un-steadying her and forcing her to seek the steadfast wall by her side, so as to not wind up lying in whatever was on the floor. _Pretty certain stinking of Clorox and piss isn't a musk that Max would be fond of, that's a definite._ The sensation coursing through her lasted a few moments more, before fading away. She gulped down air greedily, as her lungs burned for want of more. Nothing she had ever experienced matched whatever the hell had just gone through her. Nothing even came close.

"Ho...holy fuck..." She whispered to herself, still barely bringing her lungs and heart back to their normal level. She shuffled over to the sink, propping herself up on the stained and marked porcelain, and stared at herself in the mirror in front of her. She shook her head, barely believing how much of an effect that episode had had on her. Her white shirt was soaked in one or two places quite clearly, a dark mark on the fabric.  _Why'd I have to wear a white shirt, dammit?_ Her face and neck were worse for wear: anyone looking at her would have thought she'd just ran a marathon on Guam. In summer. She twisted the faucet, running the water until it was a crisp cold. She shivered a little, as the contrast between her body in meltdown and the frigid water made its way along her nerves. Ignoring it as best she could, she cupped her hands, collecting some water and splashing it across her face. A gasp escaped her lips as the shock of the cold pimp-slapped her and jump-started her brain again, taking it out of 'totally zoned out' mode, and back to 'actual rational thought' mode. Namely, settling her battle plan. She stared herself out in the mirror, psyching herself up before exhaling, her brain trying desperately to tell her heart that the task ahead was impossible.

"Come on, nothing's impossible. She has time travelling powers, for fuck's sakes. Go out there, tell her how you feel." She smirked at herself, brushing a few stray locks of hair back into place.

"How hard can that possibly be?"

* * *

Max had watched Chloe all the way to the door. As soon as she was  _absolutely_ certain that Chloe wouldn't catch her expression, she frowned.

 _Well, she sure did a bad job of hiding whatever the hell that was. She was acting all kinds of weird and was walking like she'd shit herself. And her heartbeat went through the fucking roof when I had hold of her. That's not Chloe in any world. Seriously, what the fuck has gotten into her lately?_ She turned back to the food that was on her table and was about to take a mouthful of food off of her fork when she froze, as a possibility hit her like a bus.  _Maybe she does love me too, and that's what she's been hiding this whole time?_ She shook her head.  _No, Chloe wouldn't hide something as big as that. Besides, she's got more confidence than I do, even when I'm with her._ She hadn't noticed the figure stood by her shoulder, about the same height as her.

"Well, if it isn't the waif that stirred all the shit today. Maxine, is it?" The smooth feminine tone purred. Max blinked, realising she had been gazing into space. She turned to take a look at the girl next to her. She was taken aback by the sight before her: short,pixie-like blonde hair; a pair of piercing green eyes, almost unearthly, mystifying. And a form that was slender, yet shapely. Max felt a stirring inside her as the details logged in her head. Her clothes looked like something straight out of a fashion magazine, her cashmere sweater fitting neatly to her form, accentuating the features concealed beneath. Her skirt was just long enough to be respectable, yet short enough to not lose any of the length of her slender, perfectly sized legs.

_Damn, what is it with this shithole of a town and having the most fucking PERFECT girls? Argh, eyes on your prize Max._

She opened her mouth to reply, accidentally fumbling her words as she fought the part of her mind that was trying to magnetise to this newcomer. "Um...Max, Never...never Maxine. A-and you are...?" The girl snickered at Max's lack of confidence.

 "Some change from that invincible bullshit you were playing earlier. The name's Victoria, I suppose you'll learn that soon enough. What brings you here, anyway?" 

"Photography, mainly." Another high-pitched cackle, as Victoria eyed the camera resting on the table, pinning the photograph she had took previously to the table. 

"Oh really? Only am amateur would be using equipment so old that the museums stopped taking it. Now, let's see what they look like!" She teased, snatching the photo from under the camera before Max could respond.

"Hey! Gimme that back, or I'll..." Max hopped to her feet, chasing Victoria a few steps before she turned around at the threat.

"What? What can  _you_ possibly do to hurt  _me_? Hit me with that piece of shit you call a camera?" She snickered once more, as Max's face fell. Victoria took a few paces back, taunting her with a verbal victory lap.

"Oooh, so very gay of you two. Considered getting married, a nice little dyke wedding-" She stopped abruptly as she walked into something behind her. Victoria raised a confused eyebrow as Max's face lit up once more.

"She might not do anything to you. I sure as shit will."

* * *

Chloe had flung open the door, brimming with as close to Dutch courage as she could get while sober. As soon as she had looked toward the booth, however, her elation was quickly overridden by anger, as she watched the scene play out in front of her.

"Hey, gimme that back, or I'll..." Max had called out at Bitchtoria, lunging in vain to retrieve the photo she took of the pair of them at the lighthouse. Chloe strode up behind Victoria, trying to keep her footsteps quiet.

_Alright, asshole. You want a war, you sure as fuck get a war._

Victoria was too self-absorbed, taunting Max as she stepped backward. Right into Chloe. she shot max a demonic, almost psychotic grin. That cheered her right up.

_That's right, Max: I'm not letting this pussycat fuck your day._

"She might not do anything to you. I sure as shit will." She stated softly into Victoria's ear, her head resting on her shoulder. Victoria jumped, spinning round and almost losing her footing. Chloe swiped the photo back out of Victoria's talons.

"Kari. Price." Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Wow. All that family money, and they couldn't send you to a kindergarten where you learned to remember your enemy's name? Oh, I almost forgot to ask: how was your tea?" Victoria gasped.

"So it was  _you-_ "

"Yeah, yeah, cut the am-dram bullshit, Vicky. Shouldn't have tried playing dirty to get your own way. Karma is a bitch, darling. Now, hurry along. Sure there's some teacher or other you wanna get into the pants of." The colour drained from Victoria's face as she skulked past her, trying not to make contact with her. As she passed Chloe, she yelped as a hand patted her roughly across the ass, lighting her face up red and sending her scuttling toward the door. Max burst out laughing at her reaction.

"Oh, you were right Chloe... you really know how to handle the bitches! What was that tea thing about anyway?" Chloe high-fived her. 

"Of course I do. As for that, you know the play I was talking about?" 

"Yeah?"

"Well, Icky Vicky was jealous because... she, it, had got the part of Prospera. She tried doping tea with sedative, to try and take her down. So, I switched the cups. And we drugged her sorry ass instead." She was half expecting Max to turn somewhat darker at the implication of Rachel, but instead, her laugh grew to a howl.

"Oh, that is just fucking brilliant! I'll make sure to offer her tea whenever I see her." She noted, as they sat down and tucked in to their now-lukewarm sustenance. Chloe stared at Max for a few moments, her resolve now utterly out of the window again.

 _Ugh. Way to fuck up my plans, Vicky._ Max still failed to notice, tearing apart her food like a raptor that had been starved for a week. Even in this feral state, she still looked perfect to Chloe. More to the point, that whole incident had just proven to Chloe that despite all her hardened exterior, her fortress of spikes, Max was still Max underneath. Ever the shy, slightly dorky one.

_Why is this shit never straightforward? Fuck you Hollywood, you were wrong._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that happened. Yes, it's starting off as what you'd call slowburn because it feels wrong of me to have them instantly jump into their arms (I feel a little off about doing that in _The Call_ so I'm redoing it for now. hopefully this chapter works as well as I think it does, and yes. Chloe is having a fun time trying to keep some of her emotions under wraps. As for the home life sections, I'll be open now and say I'm not aiming to cast David as abusive. I'd rather not write that as I've got that going on anyway, and it's not exactly something I'd enjoy writing. Next chapter as well will see the return of one character who I think you'll all approve of. *eyebrow wiggling*.  
> Ciao for now!
> 
> P.S: A lot of writing I do ends up being done on the commute on my phone. I don't use predictive, so spelling errors are a high possibility. If you spot them, call them out and I'll fix them. Thanks!


	4. Meet the Parent(s)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max properly meets David and Joyce for the first time since she left three years ago. After being shown around Chloe's 'home away from hell', at any rate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES! I'M SORRY, IT'S BEEN LIKE FOREVER SINCE THE LAST UPDATE!  
> My life has been a giant burning dumpster falling down a set of stairs for the last few weeks: family members getting arrested, trying not to fail Winter Exams, the list goes on. We're there now, so panic attacks can end. Pretty Please?
> 
> So, yeah. I've been reading the chapters back as I go and wondering whether they seem disjointed or not. Nobody's said so, I'm just getting a touch paranoid. Yay me. Just to make it a little clearer, the first 'Act' will mainly be along the lines of settling in, Max and Chloe getting (back) into Blackwell and a few other elements, before we move onto anything more dark and chaotic. Yes, that will happen later so be ready ;)  
> S'amuse bien!

_16th February 2011_

_2.35 pm_

_Outskirts of Arcadia Bay_

Max still grinned slightly at their encounter with that girl Victoria, or as Chloe had coined her, 'Queen Bitch'. There was just something truly brilliant about how her best friend had reappeared at almost the perfect time, and not only turned things back in their favour, but had managed to humiliate her totally and utterly, over something Max had only heard about from her in passing.

 _My warrior knight in shining armor. Damn, she would make such a great one too, or maybe a warrior princess. Their armor and styling always tends to be pretty scant at best and-_ she realised her cheeks were heating up at the thoughts going through her head.  _Dammit, Max! Mind out of the gutter, you've still gotta pop that question, never mind going full-metal smutball on her._ Chloe grinned over at her as they left the last of the buildings of the small town behind.

"Whatcha thinkin' about now? Seems to be making you hell- ugh, I mean really- amused." She asked Max, grimacing as she corrected herself.  _Fuck, that word is tainted._ Max chuckled at her.

"Well, your rehab program seems to be working fine. I was just... thinking about earlier. You swooped in outta nowhere and totally whooped her ass! Literally!" Chloe beamed back at her with a slight chuckle of her own.

"You betcha. Can't have any stuck-up snobby bitches making my Max feel bad about doing what she enjoys, can I?" She turned her head back to the road, concealing her deer-in-headlights expression as it occurred to her what she had just said.

_Please don't ask about it, please don't ask about it-_

"Whaddaya mean, 'My' Max? Did you buy me off my parents or something?"

 _Fuck!_ "Er, yeah. Something like that. I know mom won't get off shift for a while, so I figured we go someplace else than home. Somewhere I think you'll like, too." Max raised a questioning eyebrow, both at the stumbling retort and at Chloe's suggestion. 

"Very well. We're headed out of town, and we've already been to the lighthouse. And I'm  _pretty_ sure that our old hideout is totally wrecked, seeing as neither of us have been to it in the last forever, so where exactly are we going?" Chloe smiled, glad that Max at least  _seemed_ to have glossed over her verbal screw-up. She still wasn't totally certain of her own decision on about a million fronts: would Max like it; was it still as she left it; moreover, would  _she_ be lurking there? She chastised herself mentally again for coming up with yet another plan-that-wasn't-really-planned.  _Chloe Price, master of not looking before she does something, and wondering why it backfires half the time. Let's just hope this lands in the other half of that time. _Slightly further up the road, a small, decrepit sign was visible, marking the turning for her target. She felt a lump rising in her throat as her reservations and worries about the unaccounted-for variables returned. She begun slowing down, not wanting to try and fling the truck through the entrance as normal. Perhaps not the best way to introduce Max to the evolved form of the Pirate Hideout. Max perked up from her slouch on the passenger seat, sensing the change in speed. She glanced out of the window, taking in what she could see, before turning back to her with a confused and apprehensive expression.

"Why are we at a junkyard? Chloe, I thought you said you were kicking drugs. 'Cause, you know, this seems like the perfect place to do deals." Chloe chuckled.

"Strictly speaking, I'm pretty sure I've never actually said that. As it is, the only dealer in the Bay is Frank as far as I know, and I'd happily go to my grave never seeing his ugly-ass face again. And it's a little more than  _just_ a junkyard." Max's face withdrew from the animated confusion to one of deep thought.

"I get it. It's an extended metaphor, isn't it?" 

"What?" It was Chloe's turn to be utterly confused as she pulled to a stop.

"This junkyard. It's like an extended metaphor: everything here's been thrown away, written off by everyone as just junk, not worth their time. But yet everything here is still useful. It just takes someone to actually care for it properly, and it can work just like it used to." Chloe grabbed Max around the waist, ruffling her hair with her free hand to surprised and elated giggling and yelping. 

"Well look what we have here! A hipster philosopher! Hell, if you ever got bored of photography you'd make an awesome writer, Max. That's for sure. Now, we're not here to just sit in the truck." She motioned to the passenger door. Max nodded, opening it with a loud creak and hopping out. Chloe followed through her door. As Max walked ahead of her, she stopped dead in her tracks as Max's words sunk in properly.

 _Wait, she said extended metaphor. For who? It can't have been her, and... no. Surely, she can't have..._ her eyes shot wide open as the penny dropped. She felt like someone had knocked all of the air out of her lungs, and then kicked her for good measure.

_Oh my God! Did she mean me?! All of that about this place, all the 'everyone else' and that jazz... she was talking about me the whole time! Maybe she does love me!_

_Er, hello? Earth to dumbass? She couldn't have given you a much bigger hint if she'd had a goddamned neon sign saying 'I Fucking Love Chloe Price!_ The ever helpful voice in the back of her head chirped up.

 _What if she was just making a comparison? Or, just talking in abstract? Max does do that sometimes, even this Max._ The voice in the back of her head rolled its eyes at her.

_Dumbass. She practically upped and fessed it to you. So, when are you gonna pop the question?_

_What?! No, I...I'm still not ready!_

_She might well be._

Chloe blinked out of her argument with herself, realising Max was nowhere to be seen. Judging by the cursing and the sounds of objects being knocked over, it sounded like she was in the shack. She glanced around her surroundings as she made her way in the same direction, a smile appearing on her face.

_Well, if she meant me, I suppose she hit the damn nail on the damn head._

She reached the door of the shack, as Max appeared there, looking a little more embarrassed than normal.

"Uh, hey Chloe. I...found this shack. Pretty cool, huh?" Chloe glanced past her with a knowing expression where the racket had been concerned.

"Uh-huh. And it  _was_ even cooler, before your clumsy ass came in here like a wrecking ball. Still, I've been meaning to redecorate for a while." Max blushed a little more. Chloe's eyes wandered to the wall where her name was written, Rachel's just below. She frowned.

"Pass me that rebar, would ya?" Max looked worried.

"What are you planning to do with it?" She gave her a blunt expression.

"I got a mistake to erase from the wall." Max nodded, passing her the piece of metal resting by her foot. Chloe flipped it around in her hands and testing its weight. As she stepped toward the markings on the wall, Max guessed her intent.

"Chloe, are you sure that's a-"

"Yeah. Why the hell would I want her name on our new hideout?"

"Sure, but-"

"Max! Seriously! It'll be fine, trust me." Chloe affirmed somewhat sharply, swinging one end against the scrawling and grinning with pleasure as chips of breeze block splintered away. 

"Alright. Just don't come crying to me when you need to go to the E.R." Max gave an exasperated sigh as she finished her sentence. She threw her hands up, shrugged her shoulders and turned away to explore the rest of the semi-abandoned shack that Chloe hid herself away from the world in. All the while awaiting the clang of rebar on the floor and groaning from Chloe as she struck herself in the face/chest/leg/groin/foot.  _Delete as appropriate,_ Max thought with a chuckle. She had a look around what seemed to be the seating area, or at the least, she presumed that it was on account of the car seat being used as furniture. That, and there were far more beer cans and empty pizza boxes strewn around in this area than there were anywhere else. Max cleared some off of the table, which looked to be the least grotty of the places to sit. A glance around her immediate area revealed just how much this simple, spartan shelter meant to Chloe: the dartboard by the door, its score tally showing just how hopeless Chloe was at the game; the various pieces of graffiti adorning every surface she could see, unmistakably by Chloe's hand; and-  _hm. What the hell's this hiding here..._ the magazine carelessly hidden under the cushion on the car seat caught her attention. She picked it up, its cover and title betraying no real secrets as to what it contained. Max flicked a couple of pages in. It was well that Chloe was completely absorbed in her one-girl demolition team effort, on account of Max's eyes bulging wide at the content of the magazine in her hands, her face glowing hot enough to be used as a portable heater for all intents and purposes. She roughly re-hid the magazine, praying that Chloe didn't turn around at this exact moment.

 _Holy fucking Christ on a surfboard Chloe! Have a warning label or something on the cover of that bad boy, seriously!_  as most of the reddening receded, a devious semi-smile appeared on her face as she reflected on what the magazine had had in it.

 _Well, safe to say she's not vanilla, I guess. And she's into women. Hey, that figures. How she was acting before that asshole Victoria came and started screwing with me, of course!_  Her gaze came to rest on Chloe, who was still totally focused on erasing the ink from below her own name, and was achieving exactly that, one swing at a time. Max couldn't help but be transfixed on her, her body twisting into every swing, a bounce to every movement. The glow settled into the tops of her cheeks once again as she admired every movement.

 _Even when she's as pissed as this, she's cute as fuck._ Max's eyes scanned over her, still oblivious, absorbing every little feature as though it was her first time seeing them. Her eyes wandered across Chloe's form, from her slender ankles and up her calves, which tapered off just below her knees, the movement of the muscles visible through the denim as she threw her weight forward and back with the motion of her weapon. Her thighs were perfectly sculpted, rising along her upper legs and merging seamlessly, perfectly, into the form of her butt which, despite being the same proportionately slim size as her lower legs, were accentuated by the slightly tight fit of her worn and torn jeans. The white T-shirt she was wearing, which appeared to be marked a little under the arms, hugged her form and ever-so-slightly exposed her midriff as she moved, revealing tantalising glimpses of what lay beneath. Her hips and ribcage created a slight recess between them, further amplifying the assets she had both above and below. To- quite literally- top it all off, her hair, trimmed roughly long enough that it reached the top of her neck, the strands over her fringe being only a touch shorter. All but a few errant strands were dyed in that brilliant blue. Max swore that she would never manage to lose track of her, even despite the height difference between the two.

 _Just look for the blue beacon, heh. And those marks look a little older than being made just now? Wonder what made her sweat that hard?_ Max felt her cheeks reddening again as a variety of answers came out of nowhere in her head. She shook it violently, vainly hoping that it would rid her of them. 

 _Jeez, step on the brakes Max!_ Another curious smirk popped up on her face, barely voluntary, as yet another uncalled-for voice piped up in her mind.

 _Wonder if I could ever make her sweat like that... wait, whoa. Where the fuck did that come from?_ A dull ache appeared in her torso, toward her abdomen. She ignored it, biting down on her tongue to suppress an urge to moan softly at the thought. 

  _Jesus, what is going on in my head? And the rest of me? I mean sure, I like the ideas, but since when have I been this forward-bordering-nymph? Pretty sure that's Chloe's normal field of play. The forward part, anyway._

She let out a full-lunged sigh, settling her gaze back onto her friend's form as she continued to hammer away at the other name on the blockwork.

* * *

Meanwhile, Chloe continued striking the wall, each swing just as powerful and energetic as the last. All her rage at everything bitter that had happened between her and Rachel, even while they were together, was channelled into every motion.

 _YOU can get the FUCK off my WALL! HERE'S for all the BULLSHIT, asshole!_ Ten minutes and considerably more internal cursing later, Chloe had finished her task. She leaned onto the rebar, sighing a 'whoo' as she admired her handiwork. All that remained of the markings on the wall was some broken breeze block on the floor and a light patch of brick beneath that which had her name written on it. Not a trace of the ink that once resided there remained. She glanced over to where Max had been, finding her sat on the makeshift table, an elbow resting on her knee. Her fist propped up her head, which was gazing vacantly at Chloe. She tilted her head slightly, trying to figure out whether it was just the light on Max's face that was giving the tops of her cheeks a faint pinkish glow. She raised an eyebrow curiously, realising where Max's gaze was centered.

 "Uh, Max. Eyes are up here, y'know." No response, she continued her gaze at Chloe's chest. 

 _Alright, Plan B._ She picked up a stray marker from the floor, flicking its cap off and sticking the nib under Max's nose. Max blinked a couple of times, her head dropping as she coughed softly.

"Agh! Jeez Chloe, warn me before you try and make me sniff a Sharpie." Chloe re-lidded the pen with a laugh.

"I kinda did, but you were too zoned out and staring at my tits to notice. Perv." She said with a grin. Max became a little jumpy, outwardly flustered. 

"I...uh...that wasn't...!" Chloe's grin widened as she  snickered at Max falling over herself to try and explain. She waved the botched explanation away after a moment or two.

"I know, dude, just screwing with ya. Still, how long have you been sat there ogling me?" Max shrugged.

"No idea." Chloe span the pen around, pressing it into one of Max's hands. 

"Airhead. Anyway... now I've removed the shit that I needed to from the wall, it's time for you to mark it up instead. Wouldn't be  _our_ hideout if ya didn't, and it's definitely less gross than the other ways of marking the place." She said, wiggling her eyebrows. Max stared at her for a moment, clicking on to what she had just suggested.

"Urgh! Chloe, that's gross on another level! Ew!" She cried out, batting her in the stomach. "I gotta have words with Joyce about your manners." She joined Chloe in chuckling at the thought of that conversation, approaching the wall and levelling the nib on the now-cleared panel below where Chloe had scrawled her name. A flourish of the pen later, and her name joined Chloe's on the wall.

 _'Max Was_  here.' _Yep, I guess that makes it official: we're back and badder than ever! Look out Arcadia Bay! Wait, is that..._ Max's fingers brushed on flecks of red off to one side of the writing. Max frowned, her expression hidden from Chloe for now.  _That explains why her hands looked battered to hell earlier. Shit, I shoulda thought about that before I teased her over that._

"Chloe...?" Max begun as she turned to face her.

"Yeees?" She let out a soft, surprised cry as Max took a hold of her hands once more. Max felt the tops of her knuckles, wincing slightly- as did Chloe- as her fingers ran across the broken, healing skin. Max looked unhappy, not at Chloe, but unhappy all the same.

"When did you do this?" Chloe was astonished.

"How did you know?" A glance back to the wall, averting Chloe's gaze for a moment.

"The blood on the wall, next to your name. Jesus Chloe, if I'd figured out why your hands looked like this, I'd have not shit-talked her nearly as much as I have..." Chloe wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into her chest, in part to reassure her and equally so as to hide her shame at having made Max feel bad. 

_Well, say something to her, you ass!_

"Uh...hey, it's okay. That...that was different. That isn't me any more, and neither is she. You're good dude. Besides, it sure as fuck clears the air a little, huh?" Max glanced up, her expression lifted.

"Th...anks, I guess. I was worried when I noticed that you were quietly hating on me for all the hate I've been sending her way."

Chloe pouted. "Pff, like hell I would. I'm just amazed I haven't tried running her ass over with the truck. Yet." She grabbed Max around the chest, lifting her up with a squeal.

"Now come on, Long Max Silver, we're late!"

"I thought you said Joyce didn't finish until later?" Chloe groaned.

"I know, I know. I got a text off her while you were doodling your mark on the wall to say she's got off early! So, now you get to meet her again. Her and- ugh- my Step-Führer." Max gave her a comforting yet wry grin.

"Oh, I can't wait. This should be fun. And no, you are not punching him in the face and getting me to rewind it away, before you ask." Chloe gave a faux sulky pout.

"Spoilsport."

* * *

 

_4.10 pm_

_The Price Residence_

 

Chloe's fingers drummed on the steering wheel as she pulled into the driveway, cursing in the back of her mind as she saw David's car already sat in the garage. For all her joking to Max about how shitty things were between herself and David, and of how much she would like to make him suffer some form of 'accident', she couldn't help but wish that what was coming would go smoothly. The last thing she- or Max-  really needed at this stage was an argument like what the two had seen with their respective parents.

_She sure as hell doesn't deserve that to happen to her. To escape the hellfest that was Seattle, and land in an even bigger one here? That'd just be shitty._

She pulled up the parking brake, which creaked in reply, before turning to Max.

"Sure you're ready for this? I'm not entirely sure as to how he'll be with us, either of us." Max shrugged.

"Not entirely. You?" A nervous grin from Chloe.

"Not in the slightest. Well, time to bite the bullet." With that, the pair hopped out of the truck and headed through the door of the half-painted home that they called their own. Joyce and David were sat at the table, both on the same side, the two seats closest the door left empty for Max and Chloe. They allowed the pair to take a seat each before uttering a word. Max took Chloe's hand under the table, squeezing it gently as a subtle reminder of her solidarity. 

"Look, I understand that we left things rather... badly, to say the least Chloe, and I'm sorry about that. Things...got out of hand. I shouldn't have done what I did to you." David paused, almost entirely anticipating the 'no shit' reply from Chloe. None came. Regaining the composure of his earlier statement, he continued. "I...acted on impulse, rather than thinking. I should have thought before I reacted. I hope you understand, you did provoke me somewhat." Chloe sat back, weighing her choice of words toward him carefully for once.

_As much as I wanna rip him to shreds and get Max to rewind it, I think I should be a little less of a dick toward him. For now, at least. Besides, plenty more ways to amuse ourselves, rather than aggravating Lord Asshole._

"I guess both of us are idiots, then." Chloe said, a slight smile on her face. She saw a brief twinge on David's, as though he was about to retaliate, before her words had fully sunk in. 

_Yep. He's definitely not putting this on for Joyce's benefit. Weird._

Instead of any verbal reply, David merely nodded, before moving on to his next point. 

"Joyce explained to me that you managed to regain your scholarship at Blackwell. I- huh- I have absolutely no idea how you managed that, given what you did to get expelled in the first place. However, I suppose you deserve credit for at least  _trying_ to put your life back on track." Chloe saw quite cleanly through his remark, apparently unlike Max or Joyce. Nevertheless, she kept things civil.

"Well, it's a new year. I figured it was about time I stopped fucking things up and started getting my life back in my own hands. Helps to have Max by my side, to be fair to her." David glanced at Chloe's slightly smaller companion, with a slight 'humpf'.

"So it would appear. I just hope that she's the good influence that you need in your life. Unlike a couple of past figures that come to mind, anyway." Chloe subtly glanced over him: she knew that look all too well. The posture and frame of David when he thought he had the trump card. The tiny nudge required to tip Chloe over into open belligerence. Instead, a smug grin befell her lips, much to his obvious displeasure.

_Looks like your luck's up, asshole. I got the trump card to trump YOUR trump card! Ha!_

"Given that she almost single-handedly convinced Wells to let me back in... I think she's safe. Anyway, she'll sure as hell be the only influence on my behaviour now. For better or worse." David gave her a quizzical stare for a moment or two as he figured out what she meant. The astonishment of his realising written onto his face was something Chloe wished she could take a snapshot of for posterity. She almost considered asking Max to do just that, before she realised that Max's bag and camera were likely still in the truck if not upstairs.

_Dammit. Well, a mental snapshot will have to do. Chloe 1, David still nil._

"Well, I'd best be getting to work. Hopefully the spoiled brats haven't done anything damned stupid for me to try and deal with, like drowning themselves in the pool while high as kites. Or, graffiting the restrooms, like one did once before." He remarked with a condescending smirk in Chloe's direction. Instead of getting into a verbal crossfire which- as luck would have it- Max was stood smack bang in the middle of, she simply elected to stick her tongue out at him. He opened his mouth to retaliate, but instead let out a defeated sounding sigh as the hopelessness of his fight sunk in. He slipped on his works cap and headed for the front door, grumbling under his breath about 'damned kids' this and 'over entitlement' that. As the door slammed behind him, Chloe turned to Max, giving her a jubilant high-five.

"Yeah! We showed his ass, huh Max?"

"Er, Chloe?" Max replied, flicking her eyes across the table, toward Chloe's left. Chloe stared at her for a moment, baffled once more. Her thought process was intruded by a soft laugh from the direction Max had been glancing in. Joyce sat shaking her head, a smile on her lips as she did.

"You two act just like you used to, if a little older. I just wonder whether I need to take out a better insurance policy after last time you two got up to mischief." She glanced over in the direction of the carpet by the TV, still blemished by the wine that had been spilled during one tipsy experiment by the duo some time previously. Chloe gaped her mouth in feigned indignation.

"Mom! That was like, five years ago! Gimme a break!" Joyce simply returned a knowing smile, furthering Chloe's pique, giving off a slightly irritated-yet-amused growl. She stormed in the direction of the stairs, grabbing Max by the arm.

"C'mon, we got shit to do!"

"Chloe! Language!"

"Right, yep, working on it!" She called back down as the pair bundled up the stairs once again. Once she had gotten the pair of them into the room and closed the door, she got the question off her chest that had been burning since the anticlimactic 'discussion' with David.

"Okay...that was a lot less shouty than I expected. How many times did you have to rewind to get it that good?"

 "None. You should know that, dummy." Chloe raised her eyebrows at Max once more, surprised by the bite-back she'd just received.

"And why would that be?" Max groaned and rolled her eyes.

"We were holding hands the whole frickin' time, duh!" Chloe merely lifted her head a little, a faint 'ah' her only reply. "Helps if you remember the rules of this shit too, y'know."

"Yeah, yeah, 'end of the world apocalypse' and all that bullshit... we'll be fine. So long as we're together." Chloe was sure she saw a flicker of a spark in Max's eyes, something going on behind that un-amused, cat-like expression of hers. And then it was gone again.

"Yeah. I hope so. So, what's on the cards for the weekend?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright,  
> I've got something of a roadmap for the next two or three chapters, which should round off Act I- probably around Chapter 6 or 7 will be the climax of this Act. For now, I'm shifting attention back to getting more progress done on _Red Deer_ as I feel I've neglected that story for a while, and focusing on this one entirely. Note to self: one at a time from now on. Or, once I finish these two.
> 
> Also, once I've got this and _Red Deer_ finished, I'm going back and rewriting _Lightning_. I've been re-reading bits of it and noticing a few gaps, places that I could've wrote better, expanded on etc etc.  
> That probably won't be until mid-2019 at the VERY earliest, far likelier not until 2020 given my known schedule. Most of the core elements will stay unchanged, and it will purely be taking each chapter and rewriting it, one at a time. As a point of interest, who would be up for me doing that?
> 
> Until next time (as the plot of _Red Deer_ thickens somewhat ;) )
> 
> P.S: I'm super sorry to anyone who has read _A New Horizon_ up to the point it's at, I think I may well discontinue it or hand it over to another author if any offer to take it on as I'm just completely out of ideas for where to go with it. I know how I wanna end it, but everything between... I just can't think of anything sensible to progress the plot.


	5. Night Class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe is forced to attend a night class to prove her commitment to Blackwell, which ends up being an unexpectedly good thing for her.
> 
> Meanwhile, Max experiments with her powers, before making a discovery of her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I started writing this a few days after publishing Chapter 5 of _Red Deer_ , again while off sick (yeah, my health has been about as reliable as a British Leyland at the minute, ha ha). This chapter should set up the finale for Act I, i.e. the Chapter 6.  
> No idea when I'll actually get this published, but hopefully it'll be within the next few weeks.

_The Price Residence_

_21st February 2011_

_12.45 am_

Joyce closed the door behind her as she brought the mail in from the box outside, taking the two girls' attention from the rearrangement and tidying of Chloe's room. The last few days, and indeed the weekend, had passed in much the same way: Max helping Chloe sort her world out and try to stabilise her relationship with David somewhat, all the while settling back into what had been her second home for most of her formative years. All the while, she continued having thoughts, feelings, in the back of her mind that she couldn't explain. More often than not, relating to Chloe, and usually something ado with how cute she was, or her being attractive, or Max having borderline sexual thoughts regarding her. Every time, she'd done her best to clear out those thoughts, completely stumped as to how and why they kept coming out of the blue. Still, she had Chloe's company and plenty of work around the house to do, so she elected to focus on that, and enjoying every minute she had with her best friend.

* * *

 

"Chloe! Mail for you! Looks like it might be from Blackwell!" Chloe's head snapped up from the wardrobe she was rifling through and catapulting the contents of across the room. Max's face lit up equal to Chloe's.

"So, Wells actually stuck to his word. Correct me if I'm wrong, Chloe, but you said he's about as reliable as a politician."

Chloe snorted, suppressing her laughter so as not to be questioned by Joyce. "Politician? _That_ drunk fucker makes George Bush look straight most of the time. Still, I suppose I better go a little easier on him, seeing as he's letting me back in and all. Better go get that letter." Max nodded, as Chloe darted through the door. The steady clumping of Chloe's feet down the stairs was overwritten by a yelp, and a loud thump.

"Argh, shit!" Came the unmistakable groan of Chloe, who- by the sounds of it- had outran her own feet on the way down.

"Chloe, language!" Joyce's voice immediately called out in reply, correcting her daughter's blatant disregard for manners . Max giggled quietly, shaking her head.

 _God, Chloe's still as much of an idiot as before. Just as well, that was always one of the more adorable features she had- aand here we go again, what the hell?_ She shook her head once more, confused.  _Seriously, where the fuck does this stuff keep coming from? Sure, I like her, I guess... it just makes no sense. I don't know why all of a sudden my brain keeps sexualising almost every thought about her. And I'm pretty certain we're still just friends, she said that much. She would never lie to me. Would she?_

 Max was brought around from her confused pondering by the distinct sound of a slightly-worse-for-wear bluenette stamping her way back up the stairs. The door, partially closed, was batted aside as Chloe stumbled toward her bed, flopping down backward.

"Ow. Fuck. That hurts." Those were about the extent of the coherent words Max picked up through her companion's pained groaning. Max hopped up onto the bed, her impact making the bed dip slightly, and making Chloe groan a little more.

"Easy, easy! I'm amazed I haven't managed to break my frickin' back there. Imagine that: we're back together a week and I manage to cripple myself." A shudder went through Max, as such an image flashed through her mind.

"Yeah, I'd rather not." Her eyes cast back over to the letter, still in Chloe's hand unopened. "You gonna open that this week or what?" 

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Damn, dude, I've never seen someone so excited about school. Alright, let's see what it says." She muttered, ripping open the top of the letter haphazardly, and allowing the paper inside to drop out onto her chest. Clearing her throat, she put on her best impression of Principal Wells.

"Dear Miss Price,

We are happy to confirm your re-enrolment to the Blackwell Academy Scholarship Scheme, as it has been deemed acceptable to forgo your previous 'transgressions'." Max snickered, getting a smile from Chloe, before she continued.

"Your due start date has been brought in line with Miss Caulfield's, as per your request, on February 28th. However, as a gesture of your good will, you are requested to attend a night class session from 4 pm to 7 pm on Monday 21st- wait, shit! I got night class tonight, dammit!" Chloe broke from her impressionate character, grumbling all the while. "Fuck! Why? Why'd they have to do that to me?" 

Max rubber her arm, lying next to her. "Hey, you'll be fine! It's only the one night they want you to go in, and only for a couple of hours. I'm sure you can survive that long without me."

The look on Chloe's face betrayed to Max the snarky comment that was about to come back at her. "Oh, that ain't what worries me. I just don't know if I'm gonna come home and find your clumsy ass has managed to burn the house down. Besides, I'll need all the sanity I get get to avoid punching some pretentious prick. Trust me, they'll drive you to the edge of reason, those assholes." Max chuckled, shaking her head as she shuffled next to Chloe, nuzzling her head against Chloe's ear.

Chloe felt her heartbeat spike up, and she knew there was more than one reason why: on the one hand, it was because of how she felt toward Max, how she'd felt about the younger girl for years; on the other, the demon inside her that was the secret between the pair of them. The full story of what had happened in Seattle, the details that Max had lost due to her time-trip, the same details that Chloe had neglected to restore for her out of fear. Fear of what might happen from there. Feigning further physical pain, she screwed her eyes shut and groaned slightly as she weighed up the quandry.

_I can't believe I'm already keeping things from her. We were back together three days, three fucking days and I'd started again. If we somehow get past that, I'm not doing it again. No more fucking secrets. No more half-truths, for her sake. She had enough of that shit for a lifetime or three back in Seattle._

"Chloe... still awake in there?" Max's soft, quiet tone punched through her internal monologue like a freight train through a brick wall. Chloe blinked a couple of times before replying.

_I'll tell her later this week. No point spoiling anything on a Monday, that'd just be shitty._

"Yeah, yeah... unlike you, I don't spontaneously go into a coma." Chloe chuckled.

Max punched her softly in the side of the chest, feigning indignation. "Hey! I don't get to decide when that happens, you ass!" Chloe jerked slightly as Max's knuckles caught a sensitive spot on the side of her torso. Max's expression lit up in a devious grin. She clapped her hands together softly, wringing them.

"Aha! So you  _were_ ticklish all those years!"

Chloe's eyes bolted open as she fully registered what Max had said, albeit too late to avoid what came next. A flurry of hands, as Max dived atop Chloe, pinning her arms before they could intercept her and jabbing at her sides. Chloe flailed and writhed, squealing softly as Max cackled maniacally. Chloe shifted herself slightly underneath Max, unsettling her balance just enough to topple her onto the mattress next to her. A desperate rolling playfight ensued, each grasping the other's wrists, attempting to get the upper hand. Eventually, the pair were so embroiled in their battle that they forgot about the limited space of the bed. The pair, still entangled, tumbled over the edge with a slight shriek. Chloe's back hit the floor with a soft thud, mercifully cushioned by the assorted discarded clothes that hadn't yet found their way to the laundry basket. Max lay on top of her, their noses pressed together as the pair panted softly. Max giggled slightly, not noticing the slightly redder expression on Chloe's cheeks. 

"Truce?" Chloe muttered, softly. Max nodded, grinning, and unlinked her fingers from Chloe's, shuffling back and sitting on Chloe's outstretched legs before she could retaliate with tickling of her own.

"Pushover. Now, if you'll excuse me... I gotta go pee." With that, Max hopped to her feet, pirouetted on the ball of her foot, and left Chloe propping herself up on her elbows as she lay panting for breath. As the door closed ajar, and she was certain Max wasn't watching her, her soft panting gave way to a far deeper pattern of breaths, though just as frequent. Her heart was running wild, as were all the conflicting feelings that even the simple tickle-fight had provoked. Every part of her felt like it was burning up, and a slight sheen of sweat coated the exposed skin of her arms. She flopped back against the detritus, grinning and yet grimacing, elated and yet disappointed in herself.

_Come the fuck on Chloe! If you can't see for yourself how much you love her, you should- I'unno, get some glasses for your soul. Seriously though, if this is how I feel after something as simple as a fucking tickle-fight, and Max acts like that during one, I think I have all the answers I need. But still, how do I tell her? Pretty sure telling her 'hey, your time trip made you forget we were in love' would end about as well as I think it would, ergo fucking terribly._

She flopped back down onto the floor, rubbing her face with her hands as she tried to figure out how to solve her problem.

_Digging yourself into a fucking pit as always Chloe, and now you're neck deep again. Idiot._

* * *

  _3.50 pm_

_Blackwell Academy_

Chloe's feet hit the asphalt as she slammed the truck door behind her, glancing up at the imposing brick and glass structure in front of her. Little had changed in the year since she'd been expelled on account of Rachel's idea to skip school, with the possible exception of a missing persons poster or two. Some girl called Samantha. Chloe frowned as she inspected the poster a little more closely.

_Huh, I remember her. She was Nathan's girlfriend back in May, if I remember rightly. Weird, she was never the type to up and vanish._

Turning her attention back to her cause, she quick-stepped up the small set of steps leading up to the front of Blackwell's grounds, for once sticking to the path. A glance over at the alcove where the gymnasium met one wing or another of the school revealed that at least one of her markings from her last internment here was still there. She grinned slightly.

_Ladies and gentlemen... Principal Wells! Ha, I'm amazed they haven't had Samuel repaint the wall. Who knows, maybe Wells actually like that one piece?_

Chloe grunted with pain as her shin connected with the fountain wall, snapping her back out of her semi-nostalgic mindset.

_Ow. Just as well I didn't fall in the fucking thing, I suppose. Nothing would be worse than being soaked wet through and having to put up with these assholes._

A couple of moments later, she had ascended the steps to the front door of the main building, its glass still adorned with posters pertaining to some Blackwell Am-Dram or another. Her hand rested on the metal bar, as she hesitated, giving her plan one last think-over. A slight shrug, and she pulled open the door, accepting whatever she would encounter on the other side of the door.

Chloe had taken about a dozen paces through the door when a voice boomed after her from one side.

"Miss Price. This is somewhat unexpected, to find you attending a night class." Chloe rolled her eyes before turning to face her challenger, pulling the folded-up letter out of her pocket.

"I'm supposed to be here for once, Principal. Or so the letter said." A slight lifting of the expression on Wells' face as he recalled the details of the aforementioned letter.

"Ah, yes. In any case, I trust that you won't attempt to cause further grievances with the faculty. It was tiresome enough attempting to rectify your behaviour during your time here as a student previously." 

Chloe held a hand up, cutting him off. "I understand that, Principal. Yes, I was something of an ass last time I was here. I promise, that ain't going to be happening this time around. I got other things to think about, for once. Now, if you could excuse me, I got a class to get to." With that, Chloe turned on her heel and walked slightly more briskly in the direction of the Science classrooms, leaving a slightly dumbfounded Wells in her wake. Chloe entered the classroom, noting the small number of students. All of them appeared to be new, or at the very least none seemed familiar to her. The teacher, however, definitely was. Her face lit up, equally surprised and pleased at the sight of her new student.

"Hello again, Chloe! What brings you back here?" 

Chloe grinned. Of all the teachers she'd had to suffer with over the time she'd attended this place, Ms. Grant was about the only one that she had any respect for. Hell, Chloe was prepared to go one step further and say she actually liked Ms. Grant.

_This might actually be okay, for once. Ms Grant was always an awesome teacher, and she always cut me a little slack._

"Surprising, isn't it? By some miracle, I managed to get myself re-enrolled on scholarship." An even more surprised expression graced the older woman's face.

"Really? Wow, you must've hit Principal Wells with something good, given what the word was on your expulsion." 

Chloe laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah... to be honest, it was kind of a team effort. Me and a friend, Max. She starts here at the end of the month. I got told I had to do a night class so that I prove I'm actually committed to something other than raging against the system this time."

Ms. Grant smiled at her. "Always good to hear. Now, find yourself a seat and let's see how much science has actually stayed between your two ears." 

For the first time in years, Chloe smiled somewhat as the lesson begun. The subject in question was Chemistry-  _almost ironic,_ Chloe noted to herself in light of the certain chemicals she had grown more familiar with in the last year- more specifically that of atomic structure. Chloe managed to surprise herself and Ms. Grant equally with just how much she remembered.

"Well, Chloe, at this rate you'll be able to move ahead a year. Your knowledge of all the theory is sound enough, and I'm pretty sure you'd be able to cope with the step up in complexity."

"Uh, yeah, about that Miss," Chloe replied, "I'm actually okay with retaking this year. Besides, my friend is coming into this year, and I'd like to be able to keep her company. Well, that kinda works both ways I suppose." 

Ms. Grant nodded. "That's perfectly fine. I suppose you could end up helping me teach the junior years and freshmen from time to time. Just so long as you don't try and teach them to blow up the lab or cook up crystal meth." 

Chloe blinked with surprise. "Seriously, you watch that show too?"

"Of course," Ms. Grant replied with a soft, hearty chuckle, "If anything, it gives me a plan to make ends meet if my paycheck fails." Chloe joined in the laughter, albeit due to the image in the back of her head: Frank, one of the hardest-acting dealers in the Bay, being supplied his meth by Ms. Grant. Eventually, Chloe bid her farewell, heading for the door.

* * *

  _Blackwell Academy_

_6.55 pm_

Chloe moved at a brisk walk all the way along the corridor, wrapped up in her own thoughts. Trying to figure out all of her problems, like how to tell Max and what to say. She was so absorbed within her own thoughts that she failed to register the figure leaving the classroom just ahead of her. She collided solidly with them, knocking them both to the floor and sending the other girl's bag skidding along the surface slightly. The tile floor punching her in the face dragged her back into the present moment.

"Ow! Shit, you should watch where you're going!"

Chloe sat up, still re-registering everything she could see. "Sorry! I'm just..." her sentence tailed off as the figure she had collided with turned to face her, still halfway through standing up.

"Well, if it isn't our dear elf Calamastia. The hell are you doing back here, after your epic exile?" The other girl said with a grin, extending a hand to Chloe. Chloe took her hand, wobbling slightly as she got back onto her feet. She wrapped an arm around the other girl.

"Same to you, Steph. You, like, dropped off the face of the earth." Steph replied with a flick of the head toward the door, before setting off at a brisk walk, Chloe doing her best to keep up. The sun was settling toward the horizon as they exited onto the front grounds of the Academy, a cool wind blowing through and carrying the remaining leaves and other detritus that had survived winter. Steph sat down at the bench Chloe recognised as her usual place when she had been off-lesson the previous year, Chloe sitting opposite her, arms folded across the woodwork. 

"Yeah, I did kinda drop off the face of the earth for a while, huh? What can I say, my parents weren't making enough bank, so I had to pull out of Blackwell for a while. Spent the last eight months or so at Portland, ugh. I would not recommend, some of those jerks make Blackwell's resident King and Queen Bitch look tame- apparently, looking 'hot', in their eyes, automatically means you're gonna be straight."

Chloe snorted a laugh. "I bet you put them in their place, pretty hard?"

Steph grinned. "Damn straight. So, what brings a rebel like you back to Blackwell? Arson?" Steph chirped, bemused.

Chloe shifted slightly in her seat, getting slightly more comfortable as she prepared for what would no doubt be a lengthy catch-up. "Eh, not exactly. I got re-enrolled."

Steph's eyes widened slightly as her eyes met Chloe's, her hands rummaging blindly in her bag, eventually producing a bottle of water. "Huh. Sure Wells expelled you, didn't he? Or, did Rachel 'persuade' him to let you back in?" She replied, flicking her eyebrows as she put the rim of her water bottle to her lips.

"Again, no. Me and Rachel broke up last week." Steph coughed, spraying a little water on the table.

"What? You two actually broke up?" She asked in a pitch slightly higher than her usual as the coughing fit receded.

Chloe nodded. "Yeah. She'd been acting like a bitch about things since New Year's, and it wound up with her deciding to 'take a break' from me last Saturday. Day before Valentine's too. I ended up in Seattle though, so there's that." 

Steph looked at her for a few moments, before the penny dropped. "Wait... Max lives there, doesn't she?"

Chlie tilted her head a little. "She did. She lives with me now. Long story short, I tracked her down. Turns out her life had been as shitty as mine, maybe worse: even by her own admission, if I hadn't ended up going there and finding her when I did... anyway, we caught up on the years we'd missed, ended up going to see Ina Morata too." Steph nodded, prompting Chloe to continue. "And I...wound up asking her out." 

Steph squealed slightly with joy, but Chloe cut her off. "There's a problem though: on the way back..." Chloe paused, figuring out the details she could safely give. "We had an accident. Nothing too big, but Max hit her head. She doesn't remember us doing that. As far as she knows, we're still just friends." Her eyes averted Steph's for a moment. "And for the last week, I've been tearing myself up trying to figure out how I really feel about her."

Steph leaned back a little. "Jeez. Never easy with you, huh?" Chloe smiled meekly back, telling Steph enough. "So, how do you feel about her?"

Chloe sighed, dropping her chin onto her arms. "I figured it out this morning. I... I really do love her, that much I'm certain of. It's just, I really don't know how to tell her or what to say. Can hardly word it as 'you lost your memory last week and we were in love, but I didn't tell you because I was scared', can I?"

Steph blinked slightly more exaggeratedly in surprise. "Chloe Price, scared? I'll be damned."

Chloe shook her head a little. "Not in that way. Max is... different. The shit that happened to her made her a little bit less of a shy wallflower and more... I'unno."

"Like you?" Steph finished the sentence.

Chloe shrugged. "I suppose so. That's what's been scaring me: I don't know how exactly she'll react if I ask her. And I suppose my biggest fear there is that she'll say no. Or worse, it pushes us apart. I don't think I could take that. I already lost my dad. I don't think I can survive losing Max."

Steph nodded in understanding. "I hear you. How sure are you that she- y'know- has feelings for you?"

Chloe thought hard about it for a few moments. "Kinda sure. Like, maybe 80, maybe 90 percent sure. I've seen her staring at me a couple times, and in the sort of way that I've stared at-" Chloe stopped, a slightly bitter taste on her tongue as the name sat on it, "-at Rachel before. I just don't know where to go or what to say to her."

Steph tapped on the table as she thought about the possibilities. "Well, I'm not totally sure as to  _what_ you should say to her. I'd definitely be as honest as you can be though. As for where, I think I have an idea. Max is into photography, right?"

Chloe nodded, unsure as to where the conversation was headed. "Right?"

Steph acknowledged, continuing. "Well, there's a nice place off the highway north of here. Old lakebed, some pretty nice areas of forest around too. Definitely some great places for photography. Take her there under the pretense of photography, and then..." Steph rolled her hand at Chloe, telling her everything she meant to without words. She snapped her fingers, waving her index finger in the air slightly. "Just... try to avoid walking out onto the lakebed itself. Sure, it's been dry and all, but from what I've heard... that's a good way to end up needing the Fire Department."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, questioningly, a slight grin on her face. "From what you've heard?"

Steph raised her hands. "Hey, when you're as far outta the closet as I am, you come across people with the  _weirdest_ kinks. And no, for your information, I don't get off on that kinda thing. Just a friendly warning on account of how much of a bad luck magnet you seem to be. That, and it's gonna be a helluva lot harder for you to do what you're planning to do if you're hip-deep in shit. Literally, rather than your usual figurative." She batted Chloe in the arm softly, shooing her. "Now go get 'er, tiger." She rallied Chloe, with a wink. Chloe hopped up from the bench and headed back toward the parking lot, her mind racing over the new information, putting a plan together in her mind.

* * *

_The Price Residence_

_6.40 pm_

Max had done precious little in the hours since Chloe left. Or rather, that was how things would appear from an outside observer. In reality, she had been testing out her abilities here and there in the empty house. Her favourite trick at the moment was throwing objects and rewinding, so that she could intercept them mid-flight. After a few missed catches- leading to some likely sentimental porcelain being shattered- and being hit in the face by her own projectile, she had pretty much got the hang of it. Sat back on Chloe's bed, she chuckled.

_Imagine if someone had cameras in this place. Man, would they be confused. Either that, or they'd think their system was constantly on the fritz._

Beyond her experimenting, Max had mainly focused on completing what her and Chloe had set out to achieve that day.

_'C'mon, we should really make this place look less like Bikini Atoll', Chloe had remarked._

_Max giggled. 'C_ _hloe, there's not that many sets of clothes lying around. It's not quite like a clothes shop yet. Besides, we could always go to, uh, wherever that Atoll place is and get some stuff like that.'_

_Chloe dragged a hand across her face. 'And this is why I wear the science hat. Dude, do you not know what they used Bikini Atoll for?'_

_Max's dumbstruck expression told Chloe enough. With a sigh, she answered her own question. 'It's where they tested the atom bombs. You know, big fucking explosions and a lot of mess? Well...' She left the sentence open, instead gesticulating around the room to make her point._

_Max opened her mouth slightly, lifting her head as she fully understood what Chloe had said. 'Oh. That makes a lot more sense, now you say it.' Chloe simply chuckled and ruffled Max's hair, before launching a bundle of clothing her way._

As Max ran her hand along the edge of the bed, nonchalant and bored, her fingers struck something. A protrusion from under the mattress- no, it felt like the spine of a book. Overcome with curiosity, Max pulled back the edge of the mattress a little, grabbing the edge of the concealed article and flipping it into her hands. A black, battered cover with a variety of different doodles and sketches on the front cover.

 _A journal. Gotta be Chloe's, judging by all the stuff on it and the not-so-great hiding place._ For a few minutes, she turned the journal over in her hands, considering her next actions carefully. 

 _I really don't wanna go probing into Chloe's world like that. I know how much she values keeping some things to her and her alone. And I know just how mad she can get if I do that- that's a life lesson I'll never forget. But, she's been acting so fucking strangely since we got back. Like this morning, she was burning up!_  She sighed, shaking her head.  _All I want is the truth. Besides, she snooped my diary back in Seattle, as far as I can recall._

With that, she flipped the cover and begun delving into the various secrets it withheld. The first half of the entries were nothing of use to her specific aim, though they were as Chloe had put them.

_Well, I suppose I am owed this much shit. I'm sorry, Chloe. I should never have gone silent on you._

It wasn't until she got into the later entries that things changed any. There was an entry from the previous week, the day they had arrived back in the Bay ( _Not that I remember any of that,_ Max pondered). She got about as far as the section detailing the events after the concert.

 _Whoa, whoa! This makes no sense: she said we weren't dating, but here... it says we were? The fuck?_ She shook her head, and carried on to the final entry, dated the Friday of the previous week.

 

> _I can't believe how much of a fuckup I'm being. I get given a perfect, fucking perfect chance to tell Max how I really feel about her, and what do I do? I lie my fucking ass off. We all know how that turned out last time for me._
> 
> _I guess... I felt I wasn't ready. I don't think I was totally ready at the concert, but now..._
> 
> _Fuck. Why does this have to be so hard? Now, I'm actually kinda certain on how I feel about her. But how do I tell her? I can't exactly say "We were dating but I lied to you when you lost that part of your memory, just so that I could have a little time to actually get my shit together."_
> 
> _How would Max even react to that? The Max of old would've been bad enough, those eyes and her normally would've made me feel guilty to all hell. But her now?_
> 
> _What if she doesn't...like me like that? Or worse, what about when she finds out I lied? I don't know how this Max would respond to that. I really don't want to have to find out, because if it ends how I think it could... No._
> 
> _I already lost one part of my family, three years ago. I'm never getting him back_
> 
> _I couldn't take it if lost her too._  

Max snapped the diary shut, wiping the edge of her eye, trying to stem the hot flow that stung the top of her cheek.

_Oh, Chloe..._

The front door slammed. A crescendo of footsteps up the stairs.

"Hey, you still alive in here Dorkimus Pri-" Chloe burst through the door, almost before Max had an opportunity to react. Without thinking, she brought her right hand up. For a moment, time slowed, allowing her to see properly the expression on Chloe's face. Surprise. Shock. Fear. The time-stream begun to ebb in reverse. Chloe went backward through the door, closely followed by the door itself as it returned to its place ajar. The pressure in the base of her skull begun to mount, as she felt light-headed. Finally, she released her grip, allowing time to flow normally. A glance at the digits on the bedside table.

 _7.05. Shit, how far did I just go back?_ The journal was still sat on the floor, open. Max quickly tossed the cover closed, slotting the book back into its original hiding place. Max sat down, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes and taking a number of deep breaths to bring her heart back down to a more normal- if elevated- rate.

_Okay, rumour control. These are the facts: Chloe and me are- were- in love. Huh, that explains all these things I've kept feeling. She's scared, because I've mutated into some kinda badass, that if she tells me what actually happened and where we stand that I'm gonna disown her or something. Of course! She's still hurting from Rachel I bet, that sure as shit won't be helping._

_That, and she thinks I'll be mad because she kept that from me. Well, yeah, I guess I expected her to be upfront about things, but she was doing it because she was scared. I can't possibly hold that against her._

Max slumped back onto the floor, smiling a little. 

_Just a matter of trying to give her the right hints and not let her know that I know. Unless, of course, I get a good shot at it._

* * *

 

The squealing of a fan belt outside and low, asthmatic grumbling of a partially working eight-cylinder outside heralded the return of- Max supposed- her girlfriend, albeit she wasn't strictly meant to know that. She hopped up and took hold of the door handle on her side, a mischevious grin emerging back onto her face.

_Might as well have a little fun, seeing as this is Take Two for me. Muahahahaha, Max the time-hopping Terror strikes again!_

"Hey, you still alive in here Dorkimus Pr-aaah!" Max heaved the door open as Chloe tried to shoulder-barge it, sending her tumbling through the door. She landed in a small heap of as-yet-untidied clothes with a grunt, as Max collapsed in a fit of laughter.

"Seriously Max, you get the power to literally rewind fucking time and you do this with it?" Chloe grumbled, a slight hint of irritation evident in her voice.

Max's laughter subsided with a pitched sigh. "What else would you like me to do with it, rob banks?" Chloe's face lit up in a beaming smile. Before she could reply, Max continued. "And the answer to that one is 'Hell No' before you even ask. We're still getting you back on the straight and narrow."

Chloe pouted. "Spoilsport." She sat up slowly, cautious in the event that Max wasn't done toying with her. 

"How was the night class?" 

Chloe shrugged. "Coulda been worse. They offered to move me up a year- ergo, back to where I was- but I figured your fragile bony ass needed some extra protection." As Chloe blinked, Max vanished from view. A pair of arms wrapped over her shoulders, a pair of legs around her stomach as she sat. A warm face pushed itself next to hers. Chloe resisted the urge to blush and forced down the heat inside her as best she could. 

"I like that idea. But, we both know I'll be protecting you as much as you'll be protecting me. Case in point, right now." Chloe wriggled a little, only to find Max's grip around her was vice-like. She flopped back against the floor, taking Max down with her and reaching back as far as she could to try and tickle her, failing miserably. Eventually, Max elected to let her go. Chloe sat back up, and turned to face Max, though not before having a nervous gulp to herself.

_Here goes nothing..._

"Also, I have a plan for Friday now. Something to get our asses out of the house."

Max's facial expression widened somewhat, both interested and surprised. "You have a plan. Uh-oh."

Before Max had a chance to react, Chloe pounced on her, pinning her arms down.

"Oh yes. It's wonderful, too." Chloe purred in Max's ear. "You'll love it..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the chapter was going to have an additional segment at the end BUT I figured it was long enough as is, pushing 5500 words. That segment is getting moved to the next chapter, which in turn is the finale of Act I.
> 
> Hope this has been a decent read so far. Still ironing out the kinks and trying to avoid creating plotholes as I go.
> 
> As for the minor reference Re the Ep4 Alt Timeline, I will do that occasionally. The odd bit of lampshading to canon can't exactly hurt, provided I keep it subtle.
> 
> (Note continues below, not story related but feel free to read anyway.)
> 
> So, this chapter was going to get finished and released on the morning of the 25th, while I was on the train to work.
> 
> Thing is, I didn't make it to the train. Still not entirely sure what happened: one moment it's 05.35 and I'm driving along fine and normal on an empty road; next thing I know I feel an impact- which later turned out to be a set of railings- and I'm headed toward a sandstone wall, both on the opposite side of the road and about 100m further along than where I had last been. Best guess from my colleagues at work (who are as surprised as my parents were when they saw the pictures of the wreck) reckon I fell asleep at the wheel. I think they coukd be right.
> 
> I'm fine. Minor whiplash and a sore shoulder for a couple of days. The car, not exactly (which is putting it mildly judging by the photos I took, somehow managed that while in shock), but otherwise no serious harm.
> 
> Strange thing is, it nearly wasn't the case: a tiny change, half a second later, or if I'd hit the wall head-on instead of glancing off from the right headlight, I'd likely not be typing this right now. A piece of railing (rotted through, top marks to Council Maintenance) had sheared off and gone through the radiator and engine and if I'd hit the wall head-on, that would likely have speared through the bulkhead and got me in the chest. It could've quite easily ended me there and then... yet somehow that didn't happen. 
> 
> Definitely not how you wanna start your 19th birthday weekend (my birthday was Saturday). 
> 
> Stay safe out there, folks. Unlike our favourite duo, we don't get the chance to turn back the universe and fix things.
> 
> Next chapter is likely to be a couple of months away, as again my attention will flick back over to _Red Deer_. Assuming my work doesn't get more hectic and that my college-side of the apprenticeship doesn't start issuing any assignments.


	6. Best Laid Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe carries out the plan that Steph suggested. Sadly for her, things don't go _entirely_ as she was hoping. Or, really, at all.
> 
> Luckily for her, Max can fix almost anything Chloe screws up.
> 
> (Or: Chloe's anxiety, with everything else on her mind, makes her screw her plan up in spectacular fashion. And then gets her into some pretty deep trouble. Literally, instead of metaphorically. Max to the rescue, once again.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. In between my assignments, and work, I actually find time right now to write. Crazy, eh? I've been told I can't drive for a few months while they check me over, so on the upside it means I have public transport five days a week. Lots of time to write and think...
> 
> So, this chapter has a central element that is WAAAY out of left field, even for my writing, and will have one or two things that I'll likely get a few sideways glances for. Read the end note, I'll explain everything there. The basic idea behind the chapter and everything that happens is for Chloe's already-bruised mental state, combined with everything else, puts her in an increasingly bad situation. Luckily for her, Max is forgiving. And, she holds all the cards. Not that Chloe knows that, not immediately anyway...
> 
> Post-Launch Note: I had to reword a small section or two a ways down, after a guest user (I think they were?) mentioned that I'd stated Max as knowing about Chloe's anxiety, when she doesn't. Error on my part indeed. Like I always say, if anything sticks out like that, plot-wise or in character behaviour, please let me know and I'll take another look at it. Likely with more a more coherent mind...

_The Price Residence_

_25th February 2011_

_9.36 am_

Chloe awoke with a far greater sense of dread than she'd been anticipating. She was already apprehensive about her whole plan- Steph's plan- to take Max out and, simply, making out to her. She couldn't pin what had been underlying there, or why she was so scared of doing this one simple thing. Max had noticed it, more worryingly for her, and as best Chloe had attempted to act natural, and avoid giving off any obvious signs of the war in her head, there had been the odd thing, here and there: zoning out mid-conversation; being jumpier than she already was- not helped by Max's ever-more frequent use of her power to prank Chloe- and, most spectacularly, almost running the truck off the road and into a tree. It had taken Max some hell of an effort to keep the truck on the road and not wrapped around an elderly pine. She'd simply pushed Chloe up against the door, wrenched the wheel back toward the road and jumped on the brakes. Then, came the questions Chloe was dreading.

* * *

  _"Chloe, seriously, what the actual fuck is up with you at the minute? I mean, sure, there's a hell of a lot of weird shit going on right now, but you seriously aren't yourself. Doesn't take Sigmund fucking Freud to work that out."_

_Chloe had sighed, frustrated, beating a fist against the doorframe._

_"Look, it's... complicated, okay? I've just got a lot of shit going on in my head that I don't have a grip on, it's nothing to worry about."_

_Max had stared back at her, almost sarcastically. "I'd say otherwise, given you almost drove into a fucking tree."_

_Chloe looked at her, not believing what she had just said. "Did not."_

_Max glared back at her, an even more questioning tone on her face. "Sure about that, given I'm the one behind the wheel right now? Seriously, if it's that bad that you almost gave us the Seattle treatment, I think I need to be aware of it."_

_Chloe shook her head. "No, this is something I gotta deal with."_

* * *

Predictably, that hadn't gone down terribly well with Max. There had been arguing, and Chloe was scared for a moment that Max would consider using more physical means to win the argument, given how aggravated she was. The rest of Chloe's week had been spent trying her hardest to keep everything under wraps for the remainder of the week. All the while, she'd been beating herself up. Sitting up, she shook the memories of the past day or three from her head.

 _Focus, dammit, we get one good shot at this. Still, I seriously need something for the fucking nerves._ Locating the previous day's clothes, she rummaged around until she found a still-intact cigarette and her lighter, which had about enough fuel to light still. She'd barely smoked in the last week or so, cutting back on account of just being around Max. It was a good sign, but she was still stressed and to her, the paper tube now in her fingers contained the best remedy. Slipping on some clothes in the hopefully-unlikely event that some creep was staring up at her bedroom window, she slid it open and swung her legs out, so that she was sat on the sill. The air was warmer than she'd been expecting, especially this early in the morning. The horizon looked pretty clear, too, with only a few wispy clouds visible. She hadn't believed the forecast when it had said this was the weather on its way, but at least there was that going for her today, if nothing else. Lighting her cigarette, she took a few drags, busy trying to figure out all of the different emotions circling her mind. 

 _My bet is it's all the shit that happened to me with Rachel. The amount of times she threatened to break up with me because of how I was behaving, too many to count. All I can seem to think about is how I'll fuck this up somehow, and there's only one way that can have come about. Wonder why? Fuck, this is gonna be hard._ A more optimistic voice, buried in some corner of her mind under mothballs, piped in.

_Or is it? Go there, have some fun with Max, and then spin her the question. That seems simple enough, right? Even I can avoid fucking that one up, I think._

A slight stinging in her hand brought her back into the present moment. She glanced down to find that her cigarette had virtually burned away, its ember-laden end now almost in contact with her fingers. She flicked it away, carefully making her way back inside. A murmur and the sound of sheets shifting marked her best friend- and soon, hopefully, girlfriend- gradually rousing from her sleep. Sitting up with a groan, she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. Chloe stared at her, as innocuously as she could. Even as a total morning zombie, Max was still cuter than anything Chloe could think of.

"Ugh... damn, I need to cut back on my sleep. How long have you been up?" Max asked, her question intersected by a short, high-pitched yawn.

Chloe gave a curt shrug. "Only long enough for a smoke. Don't sweat it."

Max gave her a slightly curious stare. "Thought you were cutting back on those fucking things? Or am I just gonna have to be the fitter of us now, Miss 'Max can outrun me even at a disadvantage'?"

Chloe chuckled slightly. "I  _am_ cutting back, you ass. That's why I've had A smoke, not THREE smokes like I woulda done previously. Now, get your skinny ass dressed, we got placed to be going."

Max blinked, her eyes turning toward the ceiling as she tried to remember. "Oh yeah, that. Are you sure about it? I mean, the weather-"

"-Is fucking gorgeous for February. Seriously, today's gonna be great." Chloe interrupted, part-believing her own words. Max raised her hands a little.

"Okay. Slam on the brakes a little, gimme a sec to actually wake the hell up and get going properly and we can hit the road." With that, she hopped out of bed and wandered to the bathroom, seemingly oblivious to Chloe's eyes following her. Chloe bit down on her lip, as everything went round in her mind like a brick in a washing machine. 

_GOD, this is driving me nuts. I don't wanna blow it though, I gotta just keep it cool until the moment's right. I just hope I realise when that moment comes though._

A familiar warm ache passed through her, but she did what she could to bury it. It really wasn't what she needed right now. Not to mention how awkward it would be if Max walked in to find her acting on that particular urge. Sure enough, Max returned a few minutes later to find Chloe fully-dressed, ready to go. She gave Chloe an interrogatory stare.

"Wowsers, you're fucking eager today. What's the big rush?"

The question caught Chloe somewhat off-guard. "Well, uh, we have to find the place first. I only know about it because someone suggested it at night class, and even then I only know vaguely where it is."

Max gave her a sarcastic acknowledgement. "Uh-huh. Well, let's eat and then we can start looking, right?"

* * *

_Just off the Highway_

_12.30 pm_

True to her suspicions, the exact place that Steph had suggested was quite hard to find. Impossible, unless you knew what you were looking for. Eventually, she spotted it: a small turning, taking a dirt track away from the highway. It was big enough to fit the truck, with maybe a foot either side. A few hundred yards up, the tight track widened out a small clearing in the woods. Steph had been totally right about this place, even to Chloe's untrained eyes it was stunning. A swift glance at Max from the corner of her eye revealed that Max thought the same. In fact, Max looked like she was in her element and they hadn't even gotten out of the truck yet. Chloe killed the engine. 

_Damn, Steph. You really know how to find an awesome place. And to think, I must've driven by here a hundred times too. Man I need to pay more attention._

"Now, how's this for a damn good place to spend the day?"

Max turned to her with an elated expression, easily matching that of the night they saw Ina Morata. That one expression told Chloe everything she wanted and needed to know. The pair hopped out of the truck, and Chloe properly took in her surroundings. The native pines all looked utterly amazing, their dark green needles shimmering slightly with the morning dew where the sun hadn't yet been able to penetrate the thick canopy, with a small spring pool in one corner, its out-flowing creek bordering one edge of the clearing. A few creatures, unperturbed by their presence, carried on their day. A deer foal, seemingly unaware of their being mere feet away, continued to graze on the soft, green blades of grass that were poking through the soil. Birds- not that Chloe knew much about them- chirped, the air a chorus of their song. Chloe was taken in to such an extent that she almost missed the flash of a camera in her direction. It snapped her out of her daze, to find Max shaking a Polaroid picture and placing it safely in her bag.

"Excuse me?" Chloe muttered, half-jokingly. Max replied by striding over to her and wrapping an arm over her neck, producing the photo from her bag once more. Chloe couldn't deny that Max had captured her at her best: a look of pure amazement written across her face, a few rays of sunlight glancing off of her face, with a backdrop of the pine trees, which further added to the beauty of the shot. Faking an attempt to grab the photo, Chloe smiled as she ruffled Max's hair.

"You can take a hipster to water, and apparently you don't have to make it drink, huh." Max huffed, pulling Chloe a little closer. Chloe felt her heart skyrocket once more, as the dread she'd forgotten earlier that morning smashed back through the floor, taking centre stage in her mind once again, among every other feeling she had both good and bad.

"Of course," Max replied, a light tone to her voice, "what good would I be as a photographer if I couldn't photograph for shit. Besides, you look perfect. I mean, in the photo, you do. Waking up after three hour's sleep? Not so."

Doing her best to keep on top of things, Chloe stuck her tongue out at Max. Max chuckled, digging her knuckles into Chloe's side playfully. Unbeknownst to her, this set Chloe's pulse even further into a vertical climb, as her self-doubt at the situation combined with Max's action to send her senses into a frenzy. Max interlocked her hand with one of Chloe's, nuzzling her head against her shoulder. Her eyes gazed up into Chloe's, an expression that Chloe could swear she knew.

"God, it's good to be back. Back here, back with you... maybe we're just meant to be, like that."

Once more, the memories of what she had had with Rachel surged through her mind. A line just like that. So many abused trusts. So much fear, that every time Rachel fell out with her it would be permanent. Lines almost identical to that very one that had left Max's lips. The air in Chloe's throat felt hot, like trying to breathe in a furnace. Her free palm felt damp, as though she'd just wrung sonething out in it as a vice gripped her chest. Chloe's mind, a cloudless sky moments earlier, became a storm to rival the worst that the Pacific Coast could ever offer up. Obscured by the pain of what she had had before. Terror gripped her, terror of what ways she could make her own plan backfire horrifically. Without warning, she broke away from Max, leaving the younger girl confused as she moved off.

"Chloe! Are you-" Max begun to ask, scared for her. She didn't manage to utter more than that before Chloe cut her off.

"L-look, I just need a moment..." Chloe fired over the top of Max's concerns, still distancing herself and making for the treeline.

"But Chloe-" Max's expression became ever-more worried, and confused, at her blue-haired companion's sudden shift in behaviour. She picked up her pace a little, trying to keep up with her.

"Max! Seriously, just back off, okay?! I just need to be alone right now. Is that too much to ask?" She snapped back at Max, her eyes widening in as a wave of regret hit her, realising what she'd just done. With that, Chloe stormed off, leaving a confused and slightly hurt Max in her wake.

* * *

The landscape around her barely registered as she continued forward, her mind solely focused on how far fucked things were. Somehow, she avoided walking into any trees or tripping over the plant life at foot level in the process. She could feel the cool droplets of tears slowly rolling down her cheeks, but she barely noticed. All she could think about was how horrendously she'd treated Max, and how she had just thrown away the best chance she would likely ever have at telling her how she felt. How Max may never forgive her.

_You fucking moron, you just went and did it. You fucking pushed Max away too. Poor girl's gonna wonder what the fuck she did to deserve that, when in fact it's your fault!_

She barged into something- a sign of some kind, maybe, she didn't see what it said- catching it with her hip as she passed. It spun fell flat, face down against the floor of the woodland, but Chloe kept moving. Everything else was irrelevant to her now, except the maelstrom in her mind, of all her failings.

 _You let that asshole Amber get to you. Now what? Go back and apologise? How the fuck do you do that now? It'd almost be_ _easier to get back with Rachel than it would be to fix this mess._

The greens and browns of the forest floor, and the flora with it, gave way to a featureless yellowish colour. The trees gave away to an open emptiness, stretching out for hundreds of metres. She didn't notice the surface rebound ever-so-slightly under her weight with every step, nor the imprints she left that became slightly more pronounced with every one. Her mind was still entirely focused on the plethora of new problems she had just created for herself.

_So now what? Do I avoid her for now and try and put together some kinda fucking plan or-Woah, shit!_

Chloe's right foot broke through the seemingly hard surface, plunging to about halfway up her boot and bringing her- and her train of thought with it- to an abrupt halt. She windmilled her arms slightly, her momentum trying to carry her beyond the immured appendage. A brief attempt to lift her leg had almost no effect, only succeeding in pulling her foot up by an inch or two. The recovered surface was caked in a layer of yellow-grey slime. She growled, cursing at herself.

"Fuck! Way to go, smart-ass!" She berated herself, making another attempt to lift her leg. Again, she achieved little in the way of progress, aside from exposing a small amount more of her boot, slipping back as deep as it had been the moment she stopped putting effort behind the movement. As another thought hit her, she laughed softly through gritted teeth, irritated beyond belief.

_I suppose this is fucking karma for being an asshole to Max. Now, if I can just get my boot outta this shit, then I should be able to back-track. Fuck, it's like cement. Now, come on! This can't be so hard to get out of._

Without any real thought about what might happen, she stamped down with her left foot, turning it back in the direction of the shore, as she pulled on her right boot with the force of her arms and the leg itself. The attempt to extricate herself had mixed results: on the one hand, her right foot was now free, and she was facing the way she had come from; however, the ground had collapsed under her left foot as well, and as her right foot came free with a soft pop, her left leg had sank like a stone into the silt below with a soft squelch, and some bubbling from whatever lurked beneath. Chloe gasped as the cold sludge sealed around her leg, filling in the space that it didn't occupy, and seeped down into her boot, a damp, uncomfortable, numbing cold against her foot.

"Fuck! Cold!" She whimpered, waving her arms about level, trying not to overbalance and fall onto the deceptive ground. Taking a moment, she gauged just how bad her predicament was: although her right leg was free and lying on solid-ish ground, her left had sunk past the knee. A slight attempt to pull it free once more was fruitless, the liquid clay beneath was sealed tight around her leg, rendering it more or less immovable.

_Shit! That wasn't what I wanted to happen! Argh!_

She attempted to jump upward, testing whether there was any give despite her having a good enough idea as to the answer. Her leg settled a few inches deeper with a sucking noise, and she fought again to regain her balance, waving her arms at shoulder height wildly.

"Shit, that didn't help!" She released a growl, its pitch elevated by her vexation at the mess she was in.

Placing her right foot on another piece of ground that looked like it would support her weight, she pressed it down as she lifted her left. She only managed to raise it by a few inches, the ground making an odd slurping noise as she did, before the ground under her free foot gave way once more, her left leg settling back into the clay, and leaving her leg at a right angle. She attempted to pull it back out, only to settle deeper in. She tried to stabilise herself again as she felt the ground unsteady further beneath her. Even just the small gains and losses she had made had been tiring, as it felt as though her legs had concrete blocks strapped to them. She took a few sighing breaths, surprised as to how hard it was to make any kind of movement. She felt her pulse begin to speed up as her thoughts turned elsewhere.

 _This is all I fucking need, getting myself stuck in whatever this shit is!_ She felt for her phone, thankfully still in her pocket.

 _Maybe Steph has a couple of ideas. She said she had friends who found this shit a turn-on, sure they must know how to... Fucking seriously?! No, no, NO! This is not fucking happening!_ The blank screen staring back at her seemed to mock her further, as though to ridicule her for being so woefully disorganised. Without attempting to power it up, and in a panicked frenzy, she inadvertently launched it from her hand, sending it skittering across the dried surface toward the shore, out of her reach. Even if it was indeed charged, it was no use to her now. Trying to deepen her breaths as she felt them become quicker and shallower, she continued muttering to herself. Her pulse quickened ever-further as the air she tried to drag down into her lungs felt ever-drier, the vice around her chest tightening further as though to crush the life out of her.

"Okay, okay. Fuck, now what do I do?" She tried once more to lift her right leg, with both her hands. After a few moments, and more sucking sounds, her leg sprung free, only for her to drop it back into the slimy mess that was the area now extending to about a foot around her, sinking up to the top of her boot.

"Dammit!" She cried out, frustrated and even more panicked. Any attempt to remain calm had taken a flying leap as her earlier anxiety and the stress of her current situation, mixed with the exertion, started her off hyperventilating. More tears rolled down her cheeks, a product of the stress and anger at herself.

_Now I'm fucked! I can't reach my phone, and even if I could I bet it's dead. All of this shit on the surface just breaks away when I try to get free and- fuck, how did I get this far from the shore? Oh shit._

Finally calming just enough to take stock of her situation, she realised just how hopeless it was: no matter what she tried, she was stuck fast. Without help, she was going absolutely nowhere, except deeper into the trap she had walked herself straight into if she continued her vain attempt to break free. And her only means of getting help was lying ten feet away, assuming it was actually charged. Well, almost her only means. 

She shook her head, not believing how badly she'd screwed up, and how little choice she had in the way of options: struggle onward in the vain hope that she could get herself free, or call out for Max.

_God, how do I know she'll actually hear me? How far away am I? Will she even come if she hears me, after how I was with her?_

Even in spite of knowing, something inside Chloe- pride, perhaps, or some false hope that she could work this out alone- prevented her calling out. As she sat thinking, her muddy imprisonment permitting very little movement except downward, she crossed her arms and cursed to herself.

_Fuck. I'm gonna have to, aren't I? Max, if you can hear me, please don't be an ass about this. I deserve it, but please..._

* * *

Max had half a mind to rewind and erase her argument with Chloe, perhaps reword what she had said and prevent Chloe having a not-so-minor panic attack. She'd decided against it in the end.

_Nuts, I wish I'd thought about that some more, of course that would set her off. It's not right for me to use my power against Chloe like this though. Besides, maybe it's for the best that we argue sometimes. I just hope she comes around sooner rather than later. You know what, screw it. I'll tell her how I feel, maybe she'll be a little calmer then._

Content with her plan, Max returned to what she had been doing earlier. Boy, was there a wealth of things to photograph here. The animals around even in this one clearing were stunning, and none of them seemed to mind her being there. She did, however, elect to experiment a little with her power when any creature did attempt to elude her.

Just as she had taken one last photo, and almost exhausted everything she could think of to shoot in the area, a faint cry punctured the bubble of serenity surrounding this place. Sounding almost like someone calling out her name. Curiosity got the better of her, as she started moving in the direction of the voice. Slowly, it gained more of a distinct tone. Chloe's tone. She sounded worried- no, scared, almost. Max's pace quickened as Chloe's petrified cries became ever-clearer, a greater worry steadily building up inside Max. Silently praying as she weaved through the terrain, her right hand was kept free of any object, just in case she had to wind back the clock, and save Chloe from whatever was set to cut her life short.

_Please don't be hurt, please don't be hurt, please don't be hurt!_

Eventually, the sporadic trees gave way to another clearing. Max skidded to a halt as the surface beneath her feet changed, and she finally reached the source of the voice. Chloe was about thirty feet from her, her left leg mired halfway up to her hip, her right a foot or two ahead of it, sunk in up to the knee, more or less. Chloe waved her arms at her, her behaviour betraying her new-found joy at her companion's arrival, crying something or other out that Max didn't quite hear. Max stood at the shore for a few moments, lost.

_Wh-what? How the fuck did she manage to get herself stuck that fucking badly, or even get that far out? Actually, it's her: no doubt Miss 'I can solve my own problems' tried to get herself out. Look how well that's worked out for her._

Far from what she had been dreading, finding Chloe in some life-or-death danger or other, the situation was in fact rather comical- for Max, anyway- bordering on outright hilarious. Max's surprise quickly turned to amusement. The smile emerging from the confusion on her face quickly became a chuckle, which she did her best to suppress. Chloe's elation rapidly turned to annoyance.

"What's so fucking funny, huh?! I'm sure as fuck not laughing!" Chloe cried out, an almost shrill tone to her voice. Max responded by collapsing in a fit of laughter.

_Oh, Chloe, you would be finding it so much funnier if you were in my shoes. Besides, it's karma!_

Eventually, Max came around, having purged her lungs of breath with laughter. Initially considering taunting her further as payback, Max thought better of it, something far more devious. She drew her camera from her bag, and knelt down.

"Karma's a bitch, Chloe! Now, smile! Not that you can really do anything else right now!" 

 Chloe reacted about as kindly as Max had expected. Once more, her mood swung in an aggressive direction as she pointed at Max. She shot Max a glare, which in itself would have conveyed how mightily pissed she was. Those blue eyes, currently trying to laser their way through her skull. Eyes awash with about half a dozen different things at once: a tint of humiliation; borderline fury at what Max was planning, the look in her eyes defying Max to do it; and a little bit of fear? _Fear of what?_ Max wondered as she continued to line up the shot.

"You better put that fucking thing away right this second, or so help me, I'll-aahh! Shit, shit, shit!" Chloe cried out as she attempted to take a step toward Max, her sudden anger at Max's approach to her predicament completely stifling the voice of reason in her head, trying to remind her that her legs were stuck to varying degrees to begin with. The wet mass collapsed under her, tipping her forward. Her arms windmilled wildly as she contorted her upper body to and fro, trying desperately not to land face first in the muck. She did notice, however, a small bright flash from the shore. She glanced up, cheeks red with a mix of embarrassment and rage, to see Max waving another Polaroid in her free hand.

"You're gonna love this one! Definitely going in the scrapbook."

Chloe's first reply was with a pitched growl, and more cursing, as she let her anger take precedence over her rational thoughts once more. "Ohhh, just you fucking WAIT until I get out of here! I'll make you fucking regret taking that  _FUCKING_ picture! I'll fucking make you wish you'd stayed in Seattle!" She barked out as she thrashed about wildly, cursing at Max, barely stopping to consider how much worse she was making her jam. 

Max simply stared at her for a few moments, not quite sure how to take that last statement. For a solid few moments, her emotions conflicted over whether to take what Chloe had said to heart, all the while watching Chloe slowly churning herself deeper into the slurry that lay beneath the surface of the lakebed, an ill-fated effort to get free so that she could take her reprisals on Max. Luckily for Chloe, Max had learned to see through her rage- even if she was drawing on her memory of fourteen-year-old Chloe at the time.

_She didn't mean that. Angry Chloe is like she always had been- and how I imagine Drunk Chloe is at that- prone to saying and doing stupid shit, and then seriously regretting it at some stage later. Exhibit A, your honour... Still, she could do with a lesson in manners. Let's have a little fun with her._

Max decided to play along, as though Chloe had indeed struck a nerve.

"I shoulda stayed in Seattle, huh? How nice. You know what,  you shoulda said IF you can unfuck yourself, or more likely, 'as and when the Fire Department drag your sorry ass outta that shit'. Have fun, asshole." With that, Max turned on her heel. Chloe realised what she had just said in her blind rage, as Max's form returned toward the treeline.

"Wait! Max, come on, I was kidding! Pleeease, don't go, I'm sorry!" She cried out after her, arms outstretched, to no avail. Max disappeared back into the trees. Chloe stared back at the morass in front of her. No thanks to her red-misted outburst, she had now sunk even deeper, the thick sludge having risen most of the way up her thighs, her legs having shifted closer together, giving her little in the way of movement. Despite this, and the fact that Chloe knew it was futile to even  _try_ and struggle her way free, she continued, trying, hoping that the ground would give up its fight and release her. A few frantic motions, pulling up on her legs as hard as she could, writhing and twisting, to try and find some purchase, the only feedback being more gurgling from the mire that held her, no sign of letting her go, and her having slipped deeper into the yellow mess that surrounded her, holding her like glue. Her breathing became quick, deep panting. Between the numbing cold of the mud, and the ninety-something degree luke-warmth of the day above the surface and the moderate humidity that had come with it, her energy had been steadily drained away to nothing, leaving her stranded, helpless.

She stopped moving, finally, a final quiet and frustrated shriek as more tears begun to form, becoming sobs. She couldn't even wipe the tears from her eyes, her hands being coated in mud from a frantic, last-ditch attempt to dig herself free a few minutes earlier. The mud had simply oozed back into her excavations, leaving her at stuck as she had been, and more tired out. Somewhat ironically, she had managed to wind up exactly as Steph had so aptly put it the previous evening, during the warning that Chloe hadn't taken the time to fully preserve to memory-  _"hip deep in shit, literally."_ More accurately, all she had now achieved was sinking herself deeper than even that, the line of the near-freezing ground now pressing against her navel. Chloe could barely breathe, each short breath failing to satiate her burning lungs, or the muscles across her body which screamed out. Once more, the demons in the back of her head exploited her plight, compounding her distress.

_You fucked up, again. Max was right to leave you here. Max is right if she decides to leave you, completely. You fucking deserve to suffer for this. Even more than you are now. Better hope someone comes along, unless you wanna spend the night freezing your ass off in here. Real fucking great work- take a flawless plan and fuck every last segment up. Only you could manage this. Idiot!_

* * *

Max had to admit, turning her back on Chloe- especially with her panicked  and distressed wailing- was quite hard to do, but she could take some level of comfort in knowing that she would only be doing it temporarily. A devious smile had lit up her face as she settled her own conflicted emotions.

 _After how she's been acting, she deserves a little time to reflect on how much of an asshole she's been acting. Cruel, but fair, although I doubt she'll see it from quite the same perspective. Either way, I don't fancy a mud-bath today. Need to find something I can actually get her out of there with, preferably without getting myself stuck too. Ow!_  

She looked down at what she had stubbed her toe against. An old-looking wooden sign, uprooted recently by the look of its base. Max lifted it back up, partly out of curiosity. She chuckled to herself as she took in the details on the other side.

"Huh. Of course Chloe would manage to miss the sign that woulda kept her out of the shit. I can make use of this, though." Max thought aloud, an even wider grin plastered to her face. "Now, I just need something to tie to this, so I can pull it back in. Like fishing, for a particularly big and grouchy fish." Max remarked with a snorted laugh to herself.

* * *

"Hey, dumbass!" The voice calling out to her roused Chloe from her sobbing. Max was stood at the edge of the solid ground, a cheeky grin on her face and a sign by her side, facing away from her. Chloe's eyes lit up briefly, her heart skipping a beat at her companion's unanticipared return.

_She came back for me! Oh my God, I might not have fucked up so bad!_

"Good news, and better news: The good news is, I got something to fish you outta that crap with. The better news, look what I found!" With another high-pitched laugh, Max turned the sign to face Chloe, the one she had taken out earlier. Sure enough, it served to embarrass Chloe further: A sign with a stick-figure up to their waist, arms in the air. The red writing beneath it took up easily half the sign: "DANGER- DEEP MUD". Of course, being so enveloped in her own misery, she'd managed to completely miss the sign that would have spared her the humiliation and discomfort she was now suffering with. Max drew a sharpie from her pocket, doodling a few strands of blue onto its head.

"Look! It looks just like you now!" Max shouted out to her, before supporting herself on the sign as she laughed herself breathless again. Chloe wanted to fire something snarky back, she so desperately wanted some payback, but she resigned herself that it was pointless even thinking about it. Besides, if she wanted to get out of the hole she had quite literally dug herself into, she'd have to put up with Max having a good laugh at her expense, at the very minimum.

"Okay, okay... very funny. Now... can you get me out of here? Please?" Chloe's voice could barely carry above a whine. Max nodded, picking the sign up in both hands.

"Yes, very well, your idiocy. Now, just watch out, don't wanna hit you in the face with it. God knows you've earned it." Max swung the sign in her hands, judging how hard to throw the sign in her hands. She threw it, the piece of wood arcing through the air, trailing a length of rope Max had retrieved, and landing just within Chloe's reach. Chloe clawed at the sign, dragging it closer, before dragging her upper body onto it, chest heaving uncontrollably. Several minutes later, and wirh no small amount of effort, Max had dragged her back to solid ground. Panting uncontrollably herself with the effort, Max wrapped her arms under Chloe's and pulled her off of the sign. Propping Chloe up into a sitting position, and not really caring about the bits of mud she had gotten on her, Max hugged Chloe tight as the latter sobbed with relief again, attempting to speak.

"I'm sorry, Max, I didn't m-mean it, I, wasn't thinking...I thought you were gonna...abandon me..." Chloe choked out between breaths.

Max hugged her a little tighter, a small smile at the edge of her mouth. "Of course not, I was just screwing with you as payback. I couldn't go abandoning my girlfriend now, could I?"

Her tears ran dry as a chill ran down her body. Chloe felt as though a dagger had been slid between her ribs and into her heart. 

_HOW? How the fuck could she know that?! The only place outside of my head where that's been recorded is my fucking journal! No way she found that!_

Trying to play the situation, Chloe summoned what little confidence she could find in her voice, although the result came out as a pathetically quiet whisper, to her chagrin.

"What are you talking about?"

Max rolled her eyes. "It was a shitty thing for me to do, but... I found your journal while you were out at that night class. You should find somewhere else that a time-traveller won't discover it, really."

Chloe's quiet tone turned a little darker. Any other situation, and Chloe knew in herself that she would still likely have started arguing, even with Max. Right now, she had neither the energy or the will to do that. "Max..."

Max's arm curled over Chloe's shoulder, brushing her neck. Chloe attempted to fight her off, but the smaller girl's grip proved too tight for her to break. She fell backward, Max shifting to straddle her, pinning her arms down. "Look, you've just been acting so fucking strangely lately. I needed answers, and you didn't seem to want to give them. But I get why, now anyway." She fixed eyes with Chloe, reading the fear in their blue irises. A fear Max had finally understood, at its core.

"You didn't have to be scared of me, Chloe. Yes, I'm maybe not quite the same hippie that left for pastures worse three years ago. But, there's not a chance in hell I'd ever reject you." Max said, softly. With that, she leaned in to try and kiss her- an action, Max figured, which would tell Chloe more than she could verbally in a week. Unfortunately for the pair of them, Chloe attempted to sit herself up, or throw Max upward, at almost the precise moment that Max pitched forward. Their heads collided with a soft clacking. Max recoiled upward, a hand shooting to her forehead.

"Ow. What was that for, Chloe? Trying to give me more amnesia?" She questioned, jokingly. Chloe didn't respond, save for a groan as she flopped back onto the floor, her chest still heaving as she gulped down air, her eyes closed, eyelids fidgeting as she fought back more tears

"You...you went behind my back, Max. Why?"

"Because I-argh!" Max growled with frustration. Putting a hand around the back of Chloe's head the other caressing her cheek, she leaned forward once more, succeeding this time. Chloe's eyes shot open. All she could feel was warmth, permeating through her body. Max's arms wrapped around behind her, as she lifted hers to do the same. The tears that flooded from her eyes, now, were of joy. After what felt like an hour, Max peeled herself off of Chloe, looking down herself.

"Because I love you. And you were scaring the shit out of me. That okay with you?"

Chloe was still sobbing somewhat, all the emotions that had been built up side her still in full control. She barely managed to choke out a faint 'Thank you' under what breath she had. Max lay down beside her, wriggling an arm under her shoulders.

"So....?" Max probed, leaving the sentence open. Chloe rolled over, so she could fix eyes with Max, provoking a soft 'ow' from Max as she accidentally pressed down on her arm. Her head touching Max's, and her voice barely above a whisper, she replied with the words she had longed to say to Max for over a week, words that until now, she had been terrified to use.

"I...I love you." Max wrapped her free arm over Chloe, hugging her.

"I'm glad we've kicked that elephant the fuck out of the zip-code. Hell, at least now all the odd thoughts and feelings I've been having for the past week make a hell of a lot more sense." Max declared. Having finally stopped bawling her eyes out, Chloe begun grinning back at her, a suggestive grin on her face.

_Even after going through pretty much every emotion that exists, she still has a dirty mind. And a twisted sense of humour. Wowser._

Max reached a hand up, ruffling the back of Chloe's hair. "Your mind should have its own sanitation department. You know that, Chloe?"

With that, the pair of them burst into soft laughter. Eventually, their amusement was intersected by a cold breeze. Max carefully recovered her arm from beneath Chloe, so that she could move around.

"Well, looks like we're both gonna need to change clothes now. Think you can walk?" Mas asked as she stood up, trying to dust some of the partially dried-on clay off of her. Chloe slowly sat up, enough energy having returned to her for her voice- and personality- to return to that which Max knew and lived to have by her side.

"I'unno. What's the matter, my girlfriend worried about getting a little dirtier?"

Max shook her head, a cheeky grin on her face again. "Nuh-uh. I just don't think I can carry your heavy ass back to the truck. Especially as you've enough of that shit still stuck to you to make a lifesize sculpture of yourself." Max hopped to her feet, replacing the sign- this time at the edge of the lake- and carefully recovering Chloe's phone, albeit getting a sneaker covered in the filth that lurked below the misleading layer on top. Chloe took the opportunity to laugh at Max, as she cursed and flicked her foot about, trying hopelessly to remove the yellow layer that now matched Chloe's lower half. Offering her a hand, Max helped Chloe onto her feet, taking one of Chloe's arms around her neck, and taking her weight as Chloe staggered, legs still unsteady. As they reached the clearing, Chloe realised they were on the wrong side of it, next to the spring. She also noticed Max surreptitiously sliding her bag off of her shoulder.

"Max, what are you doing?" A foot across the path of her legs and a shoulder-barge answered her that question. Sadly for Max, she had failed to bear two key things in mind: one, despite the warm day, the couple of feet of water in the natural pool was only a degree or two above freezing, at best; two, Chloe still had an arm around her. The latter she realised as Chloe tumbled sideways, dragging her down as she went. hit the water with a splash, and loud shrieks as the icy cold punched through them.

"Chloe, you asshole!" Max squealed, as Chloe sat cackling a few feet away, "Why the fuck did you do that?!"

Chloe grinned at her even more. "Karma's a bitch, Max! Besides, you looked like you needed a bath too! You can always rewind it all away if you wanna."

Max stared at her, confused and irate. "That's not how it works, you moron! If I rewound, you would end up high and dry and I would still be sat here. So, you get to suffer too!"

Chloe's laughter picked up to howling. "Oh, isn't that a shame?" She squealed, attempting to cover her face as Max splashed a wave of frigid water at her. An impish expression on both their faces, they play-fought each other until Max begun sneezing.

"Great, now I bet I'm coming down with something. Thanks, asshole." Max muttered at Chloe, as they made their way back out of the pool.

"You're welcome. Now, let's hope we beat mom and Step-Douche home. This is gonna be hella awkward to explain otherwise." She dragged a hand down her face. "And I just used that fucking word again. Fuck, I hate it!"

* * *

The rest of the day, by contrast, had been pretty quiet: the pair had thrown their clothes in the washing machine- and somewhat successfully used it, regardless of Chloe's incessant swearing- in order to avoid any awkward questions as to how both sets looked like they'd crawled across Iwo Jima; some such questions had been raised when Joyce came home to find Chloe's boots upside down in the garden on a pair of stakes the duo had fashioned, still faintly marked and stained in places; and finally, the day had rolled to a close, the pair sleeping cuddled tight together, Chloe's arm beneath Max.

 _Ah, shit. My arm is gonna be deader than dead tomorrow._ Chloe had realised, just after Max had gotten comfortable and drifted off to sleep. It wasn't worth waking her, Chloe had figured- at any rate, even just watching Max sleep from this perspective while she awaited the same lid of drowsiness to overcome her. Eventually, it did.

* * *

_A black mist swam in her head as the dream took its form. Chloe found herself lying on the floor of some shed, some kind of building. Wait, she recognised this place! The rusted roof, letting in rays of sunlight. The dartboard on the wall, by the door, Davud's picture fastened to its center. The graffiti, adorning almost every imaginable space save for the the sheets of tin she was staring up at. Some scrawlings on the wall, fragments of cinder block beneath, definitely not her handwriting. She was in their hideout, hers and Max's. She attempted to sit up, but found herself unable to as she lay where she was. It was as though something, or someone, was pinning her to the floor, keeping her there._

_She felt something warm run up her chest. A hand? It snaked its way back down her body, toward her waist. Lower, pushing past her waistband. A sensation overtook her from the abdomen. A burning, her sensed set alight by the movement across her groin, pulsing almost, nails dragging along the soft, sensitive skin. God, it felt good. She moaned softly, closing her eyes and allowing the sensation to overtake her. Another noise, the popping of a button. A sliding, like something being drawn from a pouch of some kind. The hand down her pants removed itself, pressing down on her shoulder instead. A pair of lips connecting with hers for but a moment._

_A voice, indistinct. Blurred, save for the words it spoke. Chloe felt she knew that voice, but it was impossible to tell._

_"If I can't have you... nobody can."_

_Her eyes bolted open in shock as she tried to move. Her limbs were pinned in place, as sshe frantically attempted to escape. An object, glinting before her eyes. A knife. It plunged into her chest, a pain like nothing she could describe. Her cry of agony, gargling as the blood filled her lung. A cackling, almost maniacal, as the knife came down again. Her chest barely rising and falling. Her pulse hammering in her head._

_Slowing._

_Vision blackening. The black mist returning. A figure, a sillhouette. Their outline barely clear enough to make out the blade in their hand, dripping rivulets of red onto the concrete floor. Her arm.outstretched, as the last of her life drained away._

* * *

 Chloe bolted awake with a gasp, drenched in sweat, a hand shooting to her chest where the knife had gone in. A few relieved gasps as she realised there was nothing there. She shot a look at Max, afraid she may have disturbed her. Luckily for Max, she had moved off of Chloe's arm at some point, or she would have had the Price alarm clock throwing her out of bed.

 _Speaking of which, what the actual fuck is the time?_ She rolled her head, glancing at the red digits on the bedside table.

_3.11 am. Fucking great, my sleep pattern is definitely superfucked. Least I get to watch Max- creepy, maybe, but she's cute as fuck when she sleeps. So peaceful._

However, Max's sleep was anything but peaceful as Chloe observe. She fidgeted in her sleep, murmuring. Calling out Chloe's name, mumbled and soft. 

"Max?" Chloe whispered, worried. She reached out a hand to stroke Max's cheek. In the blink of an eye, Max seemed to snap awake, grabbing her arm. Before Chloe could respond, Max had thrown her across the bed, stifling her mouth with a hand, the other gripping her throat, tightly. Terrified, Chloe gazed at Max's eyes- to see they were still closed, asleep. Chloe wheezed, barely forcing air along the ever-narrowing airways, Max's grip threatening to seal it off.

"No! You'll never take Chloe from me!" Max's whispered outcry was. Just as Chloe's breath begun to gurgle in her throat, and Chloe felt her consciousness begin to fade, Max jolted, eyes finally blinking open, the pressure around Chloe's neck being mericfully released. She coughed, a few whooping breaths as Max wrapped her arms around her. Shaking her slightly as she groaned softly.

"I'm sorry Chloe! I don't know what the fuck happened! Talk to me! Oh, shit, please say something!" Max whispered frantically, as she tried to make sure she hadn't choked Chloe out accidentally. Chloe reciprocated, pulling Max in tightly, and kissing her softly on the nose.

"Chill, dude... you were having a nightmare. I think. Fucking wack-ass one at that. Besides, I'm alright. Mostly."

Max shooke her head softly. "What the actual fuck is going on?"

Chloe shrugged, the same question on her mind in regard to both her nightmare and that which Max had suffered.

"I have zero fucking idea. Weird, huh?" Max rested her head against the bed next to Chloe, her eyes slowly closing with a soft yawn.

 _More than just fucking weird,_ Chloe's mind commented,  _you get woken up at 3.11 by a nightmare where someone decides to rub you off and then stab you\- WHO? And then that, with Max? What the fuck even was that?_

She felt Max's heartbeat slow a little ahainst hers, more peaceful breaths returning to her pattern as she fell asleep, her form still atop Chloe.

 _Great, now I'm the mattress. Still, I can live with that._  She smiled to herself, sighing as gently as she could so as not to disturb the girl now fast asleep on her chest.

_Shit. Maybe I'm just overthinking this. The last week has been fucking crazy, after all. Maybe it was just a couple of bad dreams, it's not impossible given all the crazy shit we've lived through betwen us. But what if it's more than that? What if there's something more at play?_

The question circled Chloe's head once more, no clear answer in sight, as she closed her eyes and attempted to settle into a meaningful sleep once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. There was a reason Steph gave Chloe that particular warning/piece of advice last chapter. And, as always, Chloe ignored it (to her significant detriment, as is usually the case)  
> I know it feels like this story is almost going down the route of 'how many screwed-up situations can Chloe put herself in and have Max save her from?' My main justification to how the plot looks is because it gives me chance to properly explore the feelings of both Max and Chloe in this AU. Especially situational emotions, and seeing how each character reacts. Warning for Act II- and, probably, Act III- there's more. Strangely, Max gets off lightly for the most part.  
> The main aim I had in the chapter was this: finding some situation or other that Chloe could wind up in that would not be lethal- hence, no railroad points- but that she would wind up needing Max's help to escape. Seeing as I already used entanglement in the previous part of this story ( _The Call_ , for those just joining us), and that I had no other really useful ideas... I went with this one. Second, it brings out two of Chloe's major flaws- as much as I love her, she does have some glaring shortcomings:
> 
> 1- She doesn't always consider what she's doing, especially when her mind is clouded by emotions;
> 
> 2- She seems to have a nasty habit of exacerbating almost any situation, especially when she's desperate or not thinking straight, in this case both of those things. Give her a small fire to put out, and I guarantee she'd try using gasoline at some stage, if she got desperate enough;
> 
> 3- An angry Chloe is definitely not a rational Chloe. Hence why she reacts how she does when Max elects to take advantage of what she thinks is a _hilarious_ karmic punishment that Chloe has suffered, and is also why her attitude switches back so suddenly as she realises what she (thinks) she's just done, namely scaring Max off. As we know anyway, Chloe's mood can shift pretty quickly. Slightly different to point 1.
> 
> And yes, Max is acting as she is because she _knows_ how Chloe feels. It's just that in trying to give her *ahem* subtle hints, she slightly overclocks it, which is what sets Chloe's panic attack off. Remember also that Chloe's head still isn't totally straight after everything with Rachel. I just couldn't quite think how to extend the bits involving her panic attack and old mental scars flaring up. However, what's there I believe works alright as it stands.
> 
> As for the final scene, yes: this was going to be at the end of the previous chapter but I omitted it as I figured it would make it too long. That worked out in my favour actually, as it sets us up nicely for the run-in to Act II. I was considering extending it, but I couldn't think of any way to do it without ruining a few things I have planned. Yes, as the new tags suggest, there will be some more NSFW slowly working its way in, although not till later in Act II/Early Act III. Still.need to figure out how exactly I wanna go about doing that actually.  
> And yeah, helluva long(ish) chapter for once. I might get into a habit of it. On the upside, more for you to sink your teeth into. Downside, it'll take me a literal eternity to get new chapters out on either this or _Red Deer_. Still, swings and roundabouts...
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this (somewhat stranger?) addition to the tale.


	7. Back to School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Chloe start their first- ish- day at Blackwell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it's been a while since I last put pen to page on this story, _I KNOW_.  
> It's just been hectic. I'm due to go for an MRI and whatnot to check my brain's wiring isn't loose (more reassurance checks after my mishap in January). That, and I think I'd prefer to live in the old Democratische Republik than my current abode (at least there, there was an off chance you wouldn't ever be confronted by the Stasi directly, unlike where I am at the moment).
> 
> I've had a hell of a lot of work to do, both academic and in the day-job side of my life, so I've had to have that on priority. I'll do my best to keep this story ticking along alongside _Red Deer_ , and at some stage I might actually get some ideas for _A New Horizon_.
> 
> Anyway, enough from me. Let's get back into the action!

_Blackwell Parking Lot_

_February 28th, 2011_

_8.45 am_

Chloe leaned against the front of the truck for a moment, trying to settle some of the unease deep within her, as she stared at the totally-not-preppy main building in front of her. Even though it had only been a year since she was unceremoniously thrown out of those doors- hell, the parking spot just next to hers was where Stepdick had been parked, waiting to do a Stop-and-Search on her- for what it was worth, it may as well have been ten. Her eyes scanned over the activity in front of her, normal kids going about their normal, borderline stereotype school lives. Something her and Max would no doubt never truly experience, for one of a dozen reasons. A slight chill arced through her as the last throes of winter swept across the area, a stark contrast to the previous week's weather.

She felt a jabbing against her side, and looked to find Max stood next to her, knuckling her in the ribs again.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, Chloe?"

"Nothing, really."

Max rolled her eyes. "You know I can see the hamster having a heart attack on its wheel up there, right? C'mon, it's not like it can be anything too major."

Chloe sighed, slightly disgruntled that Max could read her with such apparent ease. "Alright, alright. Jeez, can you read minds as well as turn back time?"

Max grinned a little more brightly. "Not that I'm aware of. So...?"

A curt growl from Chloe. "I just feel... I dunno, a little uncomfortable."

 

"I thought we'd managed to clean your stuff off enough?" Max replied.

Chloe shook her head. "I don't mean uncomfortable like that, even though my boots still feel like they're full of grit or some shit like that. No, it's just... it's been as long for me as it has been for you, not being in an actual school. I'm already trying to figure out what's likeliest to fuck either one of us over. I just-I can't think straight." She muttered, wiping a palm against her leg as she felt it become slightly damp. Max stood for a moment, piecing the information she had together, before cursing.

"Ah, fuck. You have _that_ , don't you?"

Chloe looked at her, confused. "Have what?"

Max continued cursing herself. "Fuck, I am an idiot. But why didn't you tell me that, like back in Seattle?"

Eventually, Chloe figured out what Max was talking about. "Oh, you mean the Big 'A for Anxiety’? I take it you missed the part in Seattle where we discussed panic attacks."

Max pinched the bridge of her nose, biting down on her bottom lip. "No, I remember that, but _fuck_ , I didn't put the pieces together. Why didn't you say anything?"

Chloe exhaled, wrapping an arm around Max’s waist, in an effort to comfort her amid her self-induced guilt trip. "Dude, I couldn't even bring myself to tell you how I felt about you. How the hell would I ever have been able to explain having that?"

Max's eyes lifted up, glancing to the sky. "Yeah, I know that, but it's not that part that bugs me. _Now_ I get what that look in your eyes was back at the lake. You know..." Max rummaged around in her bag, locating the Polaroid in question, "...This one?" Chloe stared at the photo for a few moments, blushing as she figured out why exactly Max had taken the photo of her in that much of a compromising situation. Granted, if the tables were turned, she'd have done the exact same thing Max had done. She looked closely at the photo, soon recognising what Max was talking about: the look in her eyes betrayed more to her than it did Max, she was sure she could even hear Max’s taunts and her own internalised terror as she stared at the shot in Max’s hand. She simply nodded, before adding a little more to the gesture.

“Yeah. That’s why I look like I do there. Still, funny as fuck now.”

 

Max drew air in through her teeth for a moment, tapping a foot on the ground. "Fuck's sake. You get some hell of a 'get out of jail free card' for this one. Just, please, no more hiding? For both of us?"

Chloe grimaced, nodding. "Works for me. Sorry."

Max slapped a hand against her. "No, don't apologise. I'm the one who should be sorry. Shit, I must've scared the living hell out of you by walking off like that."

 

Another nod from Chloe, followed by a slight smile. "Yeah, you kinda did. That being said, I was already freaking the fuck out, so it didn't do all that much to worsen it. Besides, you never were that great at reading people, so no love lost there." She pushed herself off of the hood, stretching her legs out slightly. "C'mon. Let's not be late for our first class. Jeez, that'd be great: first day back as a bonafide student, and I get us both detentions for being late to class."

As they climbed the short set of steps and walked across the grassy courtyard that lay before the main academy, a figure sat at the tables caught Chloe's eye. After a moment of thought, she gently took hold of Max's arm and led her over there. Max didn’t recognise her, although judging by Chloe’s behaviour she was someone to trust. She glanced up from the sketch she was working on as Chloe announced their appearance.

“So, Steph, what’s new in the world of Blackhell? And whats with no D ’n’ D?”

Steph put her pencil down, smiling eagerly at the pair of them. “Kinda hard to play without people to torture- in the game, anyway. Oh, as for Black _well_ , same old: preppy assholes, jumped-up alpha pricks. Nothing much.” She glanced at their arms, interlinked, before her gaze turned back to Chloe. “I take it this is Max, then. So, you managed not to screw up all that badly?”

Max looked somewhat confused as she turned to Chloe. “Chloe, what’s she talking about?”

An uncomfortable expression glanced across Chloe’s face as she rubbed the back of her head slightly. “Well, uh, the whole thing on Friday… wasn’t _entirely_ my idea.”

 

“Of course not, you’d probably have taken her to the junkyard to ask her out.” Steph piped up. The look of discomfort on Chloe’s face jumped to a solid eleven-point-oh, as she practically felt Max’s gaze burning against her cheek.

 

“So… not your plan, huh?” Max reciprocated, Chloe responding with rapid mumbling as she tried to string a sentence together.

 

“Look, Max, I uh… I really had no ideas. And I bumped into Steph while I was at night class.”

 

Max ‘s gaze softened, albeit the softening gave way to a more inquisitive, interrogative look. “And?”

 

“And, uh… she gave me the idea. She’s- good- with this kinda thing.” Chloe stammered, the fuses in the back of her head melting.

Max’s gaze shifted to Steph, unsettling her ever-so-briefly. “ ‘Good with this kinda thing’?” She airquoted, grilling their company across the table.

 

Steph nodded, with a confident smile. “Oh yeah. What, you think you two are the first people here who aren’t boring normies with which side you’re into. If you get what I mean.” She elaborated, with a wink, as if her point needed any reinforcement.

 

Max sat quiet for a moment, processing everything. “So, Chloe asked you for help because she’s the most hopeless romantic in Bay history?” She felt Chloe’s hand get just a smidge hotter than it had been earlier, Max didn’t even need to look to guess what shade of red Chloe’s face had gone.

 

Steph grinned impishly. “You bet. So, I take it that _my_ plan worked perfectly, then?”

 

Chloe’s free hand moved from the back of her head, covering her eyes and forehead as she put her head against the table. Steph glanced at her, confused.

“What’s up with her?” She asked Max, pointing at Chloe, now slowly shaking her head.

 

Max’s face grew into a slight smile. “Well, to answer your first question, yes and no. Yes, it worked, partly because I already kinda knew how she felt. She really needs to learn to hide her journals better around a nosy ass like me. No, because… in fact, you can probably guess why not. Remember any specific warnings you gave her, regarding your plan?”

 

Steph looked at Max, dumbstruck for a few moments. “I only warned her about the lakebed, that…” Steph ground to a halt, as she connected the imaginary dots in her mind. “Oh, she didn’t, did she?”

 

Max chuckled. “Oh, you bet your fucking life she did. Granted, she wasn’t thinking straight, but still… By the time I found her, she was pretty much up to her ass in, well, whatever that stuff is. And, by the time I’d taunted her a little bit and gone to find something to get her out with, she’d managed to get badly enough stuck that I had a hard time getting her out. Idiot.” She added, glancing at Chloe.

 

A muffled groan rose from the table next to Max, bringing both her and Steph to a joint laughter. Chloe’s eyes poked up, trying- and failing horribly- to fire a death stare at Steph. “If you two are done laughing at my expense…”

 

Max unclasped her hand from Chloe’s, wrapping her arm tightly over her and bringing her mouth in line with Chloe’s ear. “You know we’re only kidding, right? Besides, I doubt Steph will tell anyone.” She reassured her, quietly, before kissing the side of her head. Chloe smiled a little more.

 

Steph cheered quietly.

“Great! Well, at least I know I can become a professional matchmaker if any of my existing plans go to hell.” Tapping a finger against her sketchbook, she continued. “Anyway, how are you two looking forward to your first day- back…” She corrected herself, glancing at Chloe,  “...at this hellhole?”

 

Chloe sat back up, wiping her face as though to remove sweat which wasn’t there. “Honestly… I don’t think either of us are really ready for it. Nothing like going balls-to-the-wall though.”

 

Steph’s grin widened slightly more. “Crazy as ever.” The ringing din of the school bell broke them from their tete-á-tete. Steph stood up from the table before them, casting her bag over her shoulder. “And now you mention it, maybe we should get together sometime and have a game, the three of us?”

Max and Chloe smiled back at her. “Definitely.” They replied in tandem. As she left them and moved out of earshot , Chloe turned to Max with a surprised look on her face.

“Since when did you play Dungeons and Dragons?”

 

Max returned the look with another, hard to read smile. “Same to you. Now, come on. Let’s find out how much of an asshole this Mr. Marcusson is.”

 

Another grin from Chloe. “He’s a math teacher. Asking how much of an asshole he is would be pretty pointless, wouldn’t it?”

* * *

_Blackwell Canteen_

_12.15 pm_

 

Chloe clumsily dropped into the seat next to Max, in a relatively quiet corner of the bleak, prison-esque canteen, rivulets of whatever fluid the Academy had approved as a drink jumping upwards as she did. Max jolted slightly, caught off-guard, before scowling at Chloe.

“Dammit, Chlo! Warn me before you do that!”

 

Chloe smirked, picking the flimsy plastic cutlery up and attempting to saw through the bland meat on the plate. “Sure thing, just as soon as you stop playing time-fuckery pranks on me.” Nudging her with her arm, she continued, “Why would I wanna not do that? You’re always cuter when you’re startled.”

 

Max went a new shade of pink as Chloe shovelled a piece of meat into her mouth, almost immediately spitting it back onto the plate with a disgusted face. “What the fuck do they boil this shit in, motor oil? That’s it, from now on we eat at the Two Whales for lunch.” Max apprehensively placed a smaller chunk of food onto her tongue, her face screwing up the moment it made contact.

 

Coughing, she exclaimed- quietly enough that only Chloe heard-”Fuck, that’s gross!” Chloe snickered picking up her food tray again.

“Warned ya. C’mon, let’s ditch this shit and get some real food.”

 

As they shuffled across the canteen toward the returns hatch, they noticed another young girl being harassed at her table by Victoria and the baying hounds she referred to as _“friends”_ , jostling the timid girl around and passing all kinds of verbal taunts and slurs at her. Chloe caught the look of incense on Max’s face, as she took something off of Chloe’s tray, pinching it between two fingers as whatever fluids were there dripped onto the floor.

 

“Stay here. I’ve got an idea.” With that, and a devilish grin, Max… appeared to not move.

Chloe stared at her, confused. “And that idea is…?”

 

Max pointed, innocuously, to where Victoria was still harassing and bullying her. The only difference now was what was on the floor under where Victoria was just about to put her foot, a piece of the god-awful meat that could’ve passed as a hockey puck with how much grease was in it. As she did so, the grisly item of food slid, carrying her foot with it, and sending her- and her tray- falling backward with a surprised shriek and clattering onto the floor. A ripple of laughter passed through the canteen, quickly extinguished as its residents realised who they were laughing at. The two girls flanking her, moments earlier cackling away at their leader’s vicious taunts, helped her to her feet and scurried her out of the hall, her face red and eyes watering with the embarrassment.

 

Chloe jutted out a fist to her side, Max fist-bumping her in return.

 

“Max Caulfield, Protector of Innocents.” Max rolled her eyes.

 

“Really, Chloe? That’s the best you could come up with? Let’s blow this joint anyway, I’d rather not have to starve to death. Preferable though it may be to this… whatever they class it as. Sure as shit it isn’t food.”

 

On the way out of the canteen, as Max had turned away to talk to someone else briefly, Chloe’s eye was caught by a sliver of blue. And the face to which the sliver was attached. A face which was gazing right back at her. Rachel, with a small group of her _other_ friends, those that she’d seemingly made a concerted effort to keep separate from Chloe throughout their time together. Without so much as a change to the smile on her face, she shot Chloe an innocent wink. She glanced back in the direction she was walking, almost too wrapped up in the maelstrom of  thoughts bouncing ricocheting inside her head like bullets to notice Max’s slight cursing.

 

“Ah, shit. I’ve got Photography after lunch. With Victoria _and_ Rachel. You?”

 

Chloe's mind sparked back into life and into the present. “Huh?”

 

A bat in the arm from Max. “Jeez, you zone out more than I do! I asked what lesson you’ve got next?”

 

A smug smile. “Science. Pretty sure I could take a nap in the back of that class and Ms. Grant wouldn’t be too fucked about it either way." As they continued to walk and chatter their way out of the campus, Chloe still couldn't shake the thoughts in her mind regarding Rachel.

 

 _What the fuck was that? Less than two weeks ago she pretty much straight-up threatened to end us if we got near her again! And now this._ A frown, as Max- again- was looking away.

 

_The worst part is, I haven't really had time to confront how I still feel about her. And that's the hardest part- I think I still got feelings for that fucker._

A grimace, at the light-hearted, sarcastic and ever-unhelpful voice in her head.

_Hey, maybe you could ask Max! Maybe she's into being bi-amorous too!_

 

Chloe shook her head once more. This was going to take a hell of a lot of figuring out, and she knew she was hardly even scraping the surface of what she'd have to deal with.

* * *

_Blackwell Photography Lab_

_1.00 pm_

Max's stomach grumbled slightly as she sat at her desk, waiting for the lesson to start. As her shitty luck would have it, Chloe's junker of a truck had refused to start, and by the time she got it going again there was no time to go grab anything at the Two Whales. A slight frown passed over her face as she commented on the situation in the back of her head.

 

_It's fine, Max. You've gone hungry for way longer than this before. Ugh, thanks for the reminder, brain. Let's just hope this class is actually more enjoyable than Mr Marxist the Dictator this morning, god was he a bag of dicks._

 

She glanced across the class, observing who was in the room. The girl she'd managed in part to save from Bichtoria's asshole mode earlier was sat a few seats across from her keeping to herself. Speaking of whom, the dragon-girl was sat on the opposite side of the classroom, still looking disgruntled. As far as Max could tell, she'd changed clothes as well, although a few specks of whatever she'd- technically- spilled down herself appeared to be in her hair. Max smiled to herself once more.

_Karma's a bitch, if you are a bitch. Hey, that could be my vigilante name! Ugh, like the lamest vigilante name ever._

 

She watched as Victoria scribbled on a piece of paper and rolled it up into a ball of paper, tossing it at the girl. It took her a take more than she'd have liked, but Max snatched it squarely out of the air. Victoria's eyes bulged as she stared at Max, the look being somewhere between unbridled shock and an indescribable frustration. Max merely gave her a wry smile in return as she read what was aimed at the other girl.

_A church mouse should mind its own business and practice what it preaches._

_Everyone has their dirty laundry ;)_

Max scowled at Victoria, who had lost interest in Max and gone back to idly scrolling on her phone. In a few moments, Max had come up with her own devious counter, scribbling her own note onto the scrap in her hands. It gave her one hell of a chuckle when the colour vanished from Victoria's face at that very same piece of paper appearing inexplicably in front of her, with a new note scribbled onto its reverse:

 _The way you're hounding her, anyone else would think you got a crush on her._ Max made sure to include a face making a winking kiss for the full effect. Oh, what she would've given to read her mind at that exact moment.

 

While she pondered this, the bell rung its din outside, heralding the impending lesson, as the door swung open on its decrepit hinges. Max didn't need to see herself to tell that her eyes had dilated to be virtually all-pupil, as she took in the gentleman who'd just walked in. _And fuck is he hot,_ one corner of Max's brain screamed. He couldn't have been much beyond forty at the very oldest, and even for someone of his age he seemed to be at least _kind of_ in tune with the times, if his taste in clothing and style spoke anything about him. His facial hair was long enough to be stylish, and yet short enough to not add years to his look, it all being a dark brown with not even the slightest hint of grey mixed in. He gently dropped the folders under his arm onto the desk, the sound jarring the class from their trance, before taking a seat atop it, facing the class.

 

"Well, I suppose I don't need all that much introduction." He paused, just long enough to have the class hang on his next words. "For those who don't know who I am, I am Mr. Jefferson, your Photography Lab teacher for the duration. But just call me Mark, no need to act all school-like here." Max caught a glimpse of a few of her fellow students' faces lighting up some  more. Mr Jefferson continued.

"Now, call me old-fashioned, but I always like to take a photo of the whole class at the start of the year. Always nice to have something to look back on, something to show us all how much we've changed." With that, he begun an orchestra-like waving of arms and softly spoken instructions, shepherding the class until eventually they were arranged in the centre of the class, save for a gap where he was going to be sat. Max barely avoided letting out an amazed gasp at the camera Mr. Jefferson produced and begun to set up on the table. Max found herself subtly trying to evade the camera's gaze, which Mr. Jefferson noticed.

"Come on now, Max. No need to be shy." Max was caught slightly off-guard.

_How does he know my name already?! Or has he been through everyone's files, maybe that's what he's done._

She recovered some element of cool to reply. "No, Mr. Jefferson, I just prefer to be behind the camera." Her tone came off more bashful than she'd wanted, but it seemed to get across the desired point. One click of the shutter later, as it guillotined across the front of the lens, and the ordeal of the photograph was over.

 

The lesson felt like it passed in a blur, which surprised Max, who had avoided using her powers for once having seen no sense in bringing on a nosebleed or a blackout. As far as she could tell, the topics they'd covered had been a brief introduction to photography and a one-stop background into its history, which he seemed to know off-hand. By the time she'd packed up and headed for the door, she was one of the last students in the room. As she reached the open door into the hallway, a voice called upon her, stopping her dead. "Max? A moment, please."

_Shit. Okay Max, keep it cool. You got this._

She turned back to face him, keeping as level a face as possible. "Yes, Mr. Jefferson?"

 

He leaned back slightly on his desktop perch exhaling just a little. "Please, just Mark will suffice. Now, you might have figured out why I wanted to speak to you. I've had a look through some of the photographs sent ahead, and you show promise. I couldn't help but notice you seemed a little- uncomfortable- earlier. I'm not putting you off things at all, am I? I'd hate for that to be the case."

 

Max shook her head, profusely. "No… I'm just a little nervous. I mean, even saying ' _your reputation precedes you'_ barely even cuts it. I just don't want to do something stupid and make a bad first impression, that's all."

 

Mr. Jefferson gave her a wry smile. "I think I get what you mean. They say you should never meet your heroes, as you've no doubt heard from a hundred people before I. I'll do what I can though, it would be such a shame for your apparent gift to be wasted. There's nothing else causing you any problems, is there?"

 

Again, Max simply shook her head. Mr. Jefferson shrugged slightly, gesturing toward the door. "That's all I have for you, for now. Nice to know who I'm dealing with, at any rate. Now go on, I'm sure you've had enough of being lectured by some old guy." Max smiled back at him, amused, before turning toward the door. She hadn't said it aloud, but _something_ about him had unsettled her. There had been a look in his eyes, one that she'd been unable to decipher. His demeanour, too, something about his manner had felt too...too composed, artificial. Even his choice of words felt too calculated, too carefully crafted to seem natural. She was so caught up in dismantling the encounter in her head that she barely missed the palm swishing through the air, which she sidestepped at the last second. She came eye-to-eye with its owner.

 

"Rachel. What the hell do you want now?"

 

The hazel eyes glared back at her as Rachel leaned against the wall, in an alcove between lockers. "First you take Chloe away from me, and now you join the same class I'm in. What the fuck are you trying to do to me?"

 

Max looked at her, somewhat bewildered as to Rachel's conclusion. "Oh, I'm sorry, do you think what _I_ choose to do with _my_ life has anything to damn well do with _you_ ? Sorry to burst that bubble for you, but I live my life according to how I wanna live it. And, in case you forgot again, _you_ lost Chloe for yourself." Max kept a straight face in spite of the amusement she had from Rachel's expression, which had gone from agitation to one of seething fury.

_Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Damn, Shakespeare, you nailed it to the fucking wall, dude._

 

Rachel grabbed Max by the shirt collar, making her cry out quietly in surprise. "Just mark my words. I _will_ make you fucking suffer for what you've done, both of you."

Max swept an arm up the inside of Rachel's, breaking it away from her as she took a step back, returning Rachel's laser-like stare in kind. "And I already told _you:_ we're fucking looking forward to kicking your ass to Japan if you try anything. Got anything else you wanna bitch about?" Not bothering to give her a chance to reply, Max gave her the finger and turned away not even remotely interested in the mixture of shock and indignation on her aggressor's face. All the while, the cogs were still turning in the back of her mind in regard to Mr. Jefferson.

_Ugh, I can't believe I'm doing this already. I've only just met him-in the flesh- and I'm already going all kinds of kooky. Maybe I'm just paranoid, I'm sure of it._

* * *

_Blackwell Parking Lot_

_3.05 pm_

 

Chloe sat on the hood of The Beast, running over the same thing she had done a hundred times or more already. Each time she considered it, the details made less sense. Rachel had been acting weird toward her all day, ever since lunchtime at the very least. Ever since that wink she'd shot her, all kinds of strange things had happened. A note had turned up in her locker for one, definitely not in Max's handwriting:

_"I wonder, do you miss me as I miss you?"_

 

Moreover, Chloe knew the handwriting. She knew full well who the note was from. She cursed herself once more as she continued to think over everything in the back of her mind.

 

_Of course it wasn't going to be this easy. Fuck, why can is never be as easy as it looks? Break up with her, get with Max. Of course my feelings would get in the fucking way. Why do I gotta have feelings for her after what she's put me through, though?_

 

She rubbed the side of her her again, scraping her fingernails across the top of her skull as she tried to assert her course of action, and bashed herself about some more.

 

_Slick move, ass. Now, rather than one relationship problem, you've got two. How you gonna fix that?_

 

She saw the unmistakable figure of Max striding across the elevated courtyard in front of her and toward the steps. Wiping the pensive grimace from her face as best she could, she hopped from the bonnet, making the relict vehicle rock slightly.

"You took your time, hippie." She called out to Max as she got closer.

 

Max stuck her tongue out at her playfully. "Hey, I got kept back a few minutes by Mr. Jefferson. God, you should check him out."

 

Chloe glared at her, a twinge of jealousy in the back of her mind. "Great, you've just met the guy and already you wanna get in his pants."

 

Max aimed a soft punch at Chloe's abdomen. "Ass. I bet you'd have been drooling over him too. And, for the record, I'm taken in case you forgot. I _do_ know of someone who seemed to most definitely want in his pants though."

 

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Dare I even guess? And would their name end in _'Icky'_?"

 

Max snorted a chuckle. "Oh, yeah. Jeez, I'm amazed there wasn't a puddle on the floor under her-" She gave a muffled yelp as Chloe sealed a hand over her mouth.

 

"That's enough of that talk from you, Max! Jeez, I think I need therapy to get that image outta my head, yeesh."

 

Max shook off Chloe's hand, fake-retching. "Your hand almost tastes like that. Or what I imagine of it. Anyway… I had a run-in with someone _else_ too. Your ex, namely."

 

Chloe's subconscious hurled out a barrage of expletives inside her head. _There goes the plan of keeping this under wraps for now, fuck!_ "Lovely. Did you give her the Macklemore treatment?"

 

Max stared back at her, confused. "The what?"

 

Chloe shook her head as she headed for her door. "Jeez, you are such an antique. C'mon, I think I'm gonna die of hunger if we hang around any longer."

 

Max beamed back at her as she bolted for the passenger side. "Yeah, let's get outta here! Especially before she comes back!"

 

All the way back into town, to the Two Whales, Chloe was wrapped up in her dilemma, trying to figure out the cleanest solution where there was no clean exit. Luckily for her, Max was contemplating something entirely different, though Chloe had no idea what. _Likely that fucking teacher_ , Chloe's mind commented bitterly. _Why am I getting jealous of her when she's my girlfriend, anyway? Urgh, I need my head looking at._ Her thoughts returned to her quasi-encounters with Rachel.

 

_Surely she doesn't have feelings for me any more. Does she? Maybe she's just testing me, seeing if she can make me do something stupid. No point worrying Max yet though, I'll fix this myself._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I have my first semester exams coming up in about two weeks as well as work to do on assignments and my actual job. So, _Alias Red Deer_ is likely to see its next update in early to mid-June, all going well.
> 
> So, hopefully, the first part of the chapter- where Chloe and Max have _The Talk_ about her anxiety makes some sense. Like I said last chapter, Dave_is_slick kinda prompted me to act on that because I didn't realise earlier that it was a (rather important) point I'd slightly overlooked amid the rest of the content. Hopefully, that's all fixed now.
> 
> A big thanks to Thanks_for_the_letters and LazyLazer, who I work with now within the fandom. It's kind of a three-way thing: we all help each other, beta each other's upcoming chapters, etc. It's good, actually, having other people to bounce ideas between and see what seems like the best one. I should also be thanking them for having patience where I'm concerned (and by that I don't mean 'patience of a saint', I'm meaning more 'Patience of half the sodding Vatican'.). They're also both a great laugh to talk to, so it's big smiles all round! (Until I do something stupid like adding Discord channels we already have, whoops)
> 
> Speaking of which, we have a Discord server, too. If you want to join the (relatively quiet as yet) madhouse, click into the link below! Also, if you have any burning questions or just fancy a chat with any of the three of us, you're more than welcome to drop in.  
> https://discord.gg/eW88HcX
> 
> See you all, if no on the Discord server then on the next chapter release!


	8. Poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max gets to know some of the other students better.  
> Rachel fuels Chloe's insecurities about her and Max's relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, my writing schedule took a flying leap once more due to a million things. I am _incredibly_ sorry for the delays, most of it I don't really foresee until it's merrily taking a hammer to my plans. However, I have eventually gotten there. This is where we start to see some of the key themes for Arc/Act II developing to full effect, so buckle up and get ready for one hell of a wild ride!
> 
> In a nutshell- and minor spoilers for what's about to go down- we're going to explore the fuller extent of Rachel's ability to manipulate people as seen briefly in canon, and in the darker ways that it can work and manifest itself. This should be fun (if a little sadistic- _hey, not my fault I can give Freud nightmares!_ )

_2nd March, 2011_

_Blackwell Grounds_

12.00 pm 

 

Chloe had been sat outside on the bench for a while, waiting on Max to come out of her Photography Lab. The day had been like any other up to now, or so Chloe had felt. She was surprised thus far that she had avoided any repercussions, any negative impacts; in fact, the sum total of her punishments doled out by her teachers had been a reminder to pay attention to the _lesson_ , and not texting Max during a free period that she had. 

 _The more I think about it_ , Chloe mused, _I’ve actually been getting more praise than punishment._ Chloe smiled a little to herself. _Maybe I’m starting to become a teacher’s pet after all._

 Chloe shot a brief glance at her phone to see a text from Max waiting for her.

 

Max: Sorry! Got held back again, fucking Victoria D:

 

Chloe: Fine. No emojis, tho, ugh.

 

Max: Alright… :)

 

Chloe: Really?

 

Max: Yup. Bite me ;)

 

Chloe: Oh, just u wait...

 

Chloe slid the phone back into her pocket and leaned back against the bench. A pensive frown adorned her face, as she continued to try and puzzle through the minefield she had laid beneath her own feet. Max was one thing, and she was becoming more confident in her ability with her by the day; handling the fallout of one Ms. Amber was a totally different problem. A problem that Chloe was becoming ever-less confident that she could handle. Her thoughts and feelings had been all over the place on that front, thundering around in the back of her mind like a cinder block in a laundry machine. Even more so, over the last week or thereabouts, all kinds of weird things had been happening that she was sure had a lot to do with her: texts from numbers she couldn't trace back; another note-come-love-letter or four in her locker with various snippets. What made things worse for her was that- in her eyes- she couldn't risk telling Max. Not with everything that had already happened.

_Doing that would just take a fucking sledgehammer to everything. Nope, that's low on the to-do list. Besides, I got it covered._

 

Another thought had been niggling at the back of her mind, at that. This was the third time this week Max had been late out of Photography Lab. Any other class, she would've shrugged it off; the Lab, however, involved _him_ . That teacher. _Hell, I can even understand why Vic is trying overtime to get in his pants_ , Chloe thought with a mild shudder. Even _she_ found the guy somewhat attractive, as did Steph when Chloe asked. That said more than enough about matters at that. This wasn’t the first time Max had been late out of Lab either. In fact, in her eyes it was starting to become a regular occurrence. No other lesson would see Max consistently fifteen, or even five minutes late bursting out of those doors. Just this one. Worse for Chloe was that she had now seen the Photography teacher Max had been talking about, Mr Jefferson, or whatever his name was. Seen; more accurately, had almost knocked off his feet when she was wrapped up in thought and hadn’t been looking at the floor more than six inches ahead of her. And _DAMN_ , was he something. 

Even by her admission. And Steph’s, for that matter.

 

 _That’s what’s bugging me._ Chloe reflected. _She seems to be spending so much fucking time in that fucking lab, with that teacher. I mean, why the fuck else would it be just that lesson where any of these things happpen?_ She pressed her back against the edge of the bench table and sighed.

_Maybe I’m overthinking this. Maybe there’s some rational reason I’ve overlooked. But what if I'm right?_

As if on cue, the door opened and out strolled Max, accompanied by another girl. Chloe scanned her eyes up and down her, recognising her pretty quickly as the girl that Max had saved from the Queen Bitch in the canteen the other day. Only now, Chloe was actually paying attention. She glanced across her as innocuously as she could, and she was a lot nicer looking than Chloe had first realised. Those brown eyes that belaid so much about her, and how innocent she was. Her hair, which would likely run down past her shoulders were it not tied in a single bun, a tamed sprawl of dirty-blonde strands held in place. Unlike most of the girls at this hellhole, however, her style of dress was quite mature. Unlike many of her peers- who seemed to relish dressing in a way that would make the guys in their classes drool- her clothing was quite plain, unsuggestive, not screaming anything definitive about her. 

_Oh look, here we go again. Who the hell is she?_

Max gave Chloe a small wave as the pair got closer, which Chloe curtly returned. 

"Sorry Chloe, that lesson took forever."

Chloe kept her reservations veiled, a relatively blank expression. "Sure it did. Care to introduce us?" She asked, gesturing to the shy-looking girl stood by Max. Before Max could say a word, the girl beside Max extended a hand toward Chloe.

"I'm Kate. Max has said a lot of good things about you."

 

Chloe took her hand and shook it gently, not wishing to accidentally harm the poor girl. "I suppose she would, given I'm her girlfr…" Chloe tailed off as she noticed the small wooden crucifix, on a plainly-threaded necklace around her neck. Her blood ran slightly colder.

_She's a Jesus type. Shit! Erm, erm, backtrack?_

Kate clocked her perturbed expression and looked back at her, confused, until she figured out what Chloe was looking at. "Oh." She simply replied, offering Chloe a small smile as she took the crucifix in hand. "Don't let this fool you. I may be a woman of my faith, but it's far from my place to judge either of you. Besides, there actually isn't anything in the Bible that condemns it, despite what the zealots and Westboro would have you believe." She turned briefly to Max, with what would best be described as a mischievous smile on her face.

"In fact, I dare say she's a better match for you than any of the guys here." She chuckled softly, as did Max, while Chloe looked on, a soft smile coming to her face as well. 

 

Kate's expression turned to one of surprise as she remembered something. "Oh! I need to get going, anyway. Afternoon service today. We should definitely meet up for tea sometime, the three of us." Chloe sat dumbfounded for a moment, as Max accepted.

"Almost certainly. Enjoy your service, Kate."

Kate nodded curtly and bid them farewell, heading for the bus stop. As she walked away, Chloe's eyes followed her like a laser. 

 

"Chloe, relax. She's a friend."

 

Chloe snapped out of the stare she hadn't realised she was giving, looking back at Max with a questioning glance.

 _"Friend?"_ She airquoted.

Max stared back at her, blankly. "Yes, _friend._ It's called socialising, I think you'd enjoy it if you gave it a try. Besides, what's with that stare you were giving her?" It took Max a moment or two to connect the dots, but her face fell somewhat as they did. "Are you jealous of her?"

Chloe's eyes bulged slightly as she stammered, desperately trying to backpedal away from the mess she'd walked herself nose-first into. "Um, no, I mean, why would I be…"

"Oh my God! Chloe, seriously! I've eyes for you and that's it. Anyone else I'm friends with are a friend, literally nothing more. What else do I need to do to get that into your head?"

 

Chloe gave her a half, bashful smile, which slowly vanished as she struggled to think of something sarcastic to fire back with. "Uhh... wear a chastity belt?" She said with a shrug.

 

Max rolled her eyes swatting at Chloe's ear, following up by planting a soft kiss there. "Only if I get to put a gag on you."

 

Chloe grinned back, impishly. "Ooh, S-and-M much?"

 

Max groaned in exasperation, wrapping Chloe's head in a headlock, much to Chloe's surprise as she tried briefly to wriggle free. "I'll give you damned S-and-M in a minute." Max released her once more, grinning as she almost overbalanced. "C'mon, let's see if your damned truck tries putting us on a starvation diet again."

* * *

_Two Whales Diner_

_12.15 pm_

 

Chloe dropped herself into the bench seat opposite Max as usual, propping her elbows on the table and interlocking her fingers to rest her chin against. Her eyes softly gazed at Max, who was leaning back against the soft cushioning, stretching out gently. 

"So, what'cha eating today, hippie?" Chloe opened with, a minor edge of snark to her closing word of the sentence. 

Max merely rolled her eyes, giving Chloe a sly smile. "I'unno, what do I normally eat for lunch?"

Chloe returned the smile, but internally her state of mind had jumped straight from 'Normal' to 'Code Red'. _Oh shit! Of all the times to forget what Max likes!_ A brief glance up to see where any of the waitresses were revealed one that had noticed they were waiting and was approaching the table. Even though it was a tiny issue, Chloe's heartbeat had jumped through the roof. How could she have forgotten her girlfriend's preferred food? How much of an idiot was she for doing that? How could she even begin to redeem herself if she got this simple thing wrong?

"Hey guys, can I take your order?"

The words hadn't even registered in Chloe's mind as she fought desperately to remember what to order for Max. 

 

_Fuckfuckfuckfuck THINK! Erm, erm…_

"Uh, Chloe…" Max murmured quietly, waving a hand in front of her face. 

Chloe snapped out of her lockdown, second-guessing her every word. "Um… a cheeseburger with bacon for me and…"

_Fuuuuuck……_

"Mac and...Cheese, for Max?" Chloe finished, the final part of their order coming out as more of a question than she'd hoped. 

The young girl taking the order finished scribbling in her notes and left them be after Max added two sodas to the list, turning back to find Chloe's expression unchanged. She gave Chloe a slight grin.

 

"Yep yep. Got it right first time, better than me." She uttered to Chloe. 

Chloe breathed- slightly too loudly- a sigh of relief as she settled back in her seat. Max gave her a confused glance, before her face fell.

"Wait, you were scared _to get my order wrong_?" Chloe's eyes widening a touch, coupled with her reddening cheeks and dodging of Max's eyes told her all she needed to know. Max hopped up and over the table, to a few shouts from the staff, before rewinding. Before Chloe had a chance to register what was happening, Max had wrapped herself around her. Chloe yelped quietly in surprise, whispering in Max's ear.

"Fuck! Dude, seriously! Don't do that to me! Someone might've seen that!"

Max met her gaze with a devious smile. "Seen what? My head still barely reaches the top of the cushions. Besides, nobody was looking." She nuzzled her head against Chloe's, her chin resting on Chloe's shoulder. "Anyways, you've nothing to be afraid of. It's not like I'm gonna try and execute you or something for ordering me food."

 

"I do have things to worry about though." Chloe whispered. "What if I'm not good enough for you? What if…" 

Max placed a finger across Chloe's lips before any further points could be made. "You shush with the what-ifs. You'll never not be good enough for me. _Eveer._ " Max drew out the word, so as to emphasise her point. Chloe felt her heart flutter ever so slightly as she relaxed a little more. A few minutes later, as the two were still embracing, the young waitress they had seen earlier returned with two plates of food. As she went to put Max's food where she had been sitting, she paused, realising she was no longer there. Max chuckled softly at the girl's confused expression as she tried to figure out how Max had gotten from one side of the table to the other unnoticed.

"I swear you were sat over here a moment ago?" The waitress half stated, half asked. 

Max gave her a little smile. "I was. Now I'm over here. I'm sneaky like that."

"Like, _'Ninja-Sneaky!'_ " Chloe added, an equally devious grin on her face. The waitress merely shrugged as she delivered the food and the duo tucked into their food. Every so often, Max glanced out of the corner of her eye at Chloe as she demolished the contents of her bowl. Unusually for her, she was eating pretty slowly if at all. Preoccupied. Withdrawn, even, compared to her normal brash and confident persona. Max managed to keep her rate of eating up enough that Chloe failed to notice, all the while the question gnawed at the back of her mind.  She had eaten about half her burger when she placed it down on the plate again, standing up almost shakily. She looked more pale than normal, a sickly whitish shade across her skin.

"I...uh...gotta go use the bathroom Max. I don't feel so good." Chloe mumbled, as shakily as she stood. 

"You don't _look_ good, Chlo, so I'm not surprised you don't _feel_ so good either." Max replied, noticing that Chloe had already moved in the direction of the bathroom.

* * *

Chloe could already feel her jaw tensing up as she barged through the bathroom door as subtly and quickly as she could, crashing through the door into the first open stall. Her stomach felt like it was ablaze, a napalm that tore through her throat as what little she had eaten that day was regurgitated, barely directed into the basin. As the tsunami that was the nausea receded enough for her retching to cease, she hit the flush button and tapped her foot against the door, swinging it closed as she sat back against it. She took her head in her hands and forced deep, shuddering breaths into her lungs as best she could, her heart still hammering bluntly with the stress on her form. To hell with the state of the floor she was sitting on, and whatever was on it. The acid in her throat and mouth still burned softly as she felt a few lukewarm tears rolling down her cheek, while she got herself under some degree of control.

 _I am such a mess right now. Max can't have been right, saying I'm good enough for her. Surely there's a better choice for her than the wreck I am. Maybe she's already found someone else and is just trying to let me down gently._  

She allowed her head to flop back against the door, as she took a last few breaths before pushing herself off of the floor, grimacing at the slight stickiness of the surface beneath her hands.

_Gross. I guess I'd better clean myself up and get back out there, Max must be wondering where the hell I've gotten to._

With that, she shuffled across to the faucets, washing the acid and remnants of her stomach's contents from her mouth and trying in vain to wash away the stickiness that was on her hands- and, she had realised, her clothes- relaxing slightly more as the cold water washed through her. She heard the door open behind her, but took little notice as she splashed some water across her face in a further effort to calm herself before facing Max again. Only then did she lift her head to look in the mirror, her heart nearly stopped dead as she registered who was behind her.

"So, how's going for second-best working out?" Rachel asked, sarcastically, as Chloe spun to face her, slowly moving toward the door. 

"What are you doing here?" Chloe asked, still somewhat in shock. She reached the wall next to the door as Rachel stepped toward her. As Chloe grabbed the handle and tried to pull the door open, Rachel shot a hand out, pinning it shut and squashing Chloe's hand against the metal as she closed in, causing Chloe some discomfort as the wrist bent at an awkward angle. Chloe grimaced, suppressing all but the faintest pitched groan that escaped from between her lips at the severe discomfort.

"Not very polite, running away from questions. Then again, you were never one for being polite _or_ courteous, were you?" Rachel remarked sardonically, her free hand pinning Chloe's right arm against the wall as she pressed herself against Chloe. Chloe wasn't sure what was more uncomfortable: having her damaged wrist at the angle it was at; or having Rachel _this close to her and acting like this with Max less than thirty feet away._

Rachel squeezed herself slightly closer to Chloe, appearing to revel in the discomfort that she was showing as the latter blushed, her body aflame. "I'll ask again. How does it feel to have second-best?" Rachel reiterated. 

Chloe gulped softly as her mind ran at a thousand or so miles an hour. "She's not second best." Chloe replied, offering up the sharpest edge to her voice that she could.

Rachel simply gazed into her eyes, her eyes as expressionless as a shark's. Instead of the grimace of annoyance Chloe anticipated, a grin befell her face. Chloe felt her stomach somersault once more as her ability to read anything on Rachel's face took a flying leap. Rachel's mouth moved toward Chloe's ear as her knee shifted uncomfortably across Chloe's waist.  

"I bet she's so pleased. Abandoning you for three years, and still being able to make you feel sorry enough for her to take her back." She purred in Chloe's ear. Chloe flinched, recoiling as far as her restraint would allow as she felt a warm dampness tracing down from the node in front of her ear, slowly snaking toward her mouth. Chloe jerked her face away as sharply as she could, to Rachel's surprise.

"Sh-she didn't abandon me! You've no idea… what her life was like!" Chloe stammered, frantically. "She would've...talked to me if she could've!" 

Rachel gave her a slow, almost mocking, nod. "Uh-huh. Poor girl, her life was so fucked up that she couldn't even send you a simple text. Poor, poor Max." Chloe tried to process exactly _what_ Rachel had just said.

_What the fuck does she mean? Max would've tried to speak to me if she could've!_

"Oh, you should see her in Lab. Rachel droned quietly onward. "Christ, Vicky has some serious competition. Thinking of which, you should see Warren around your _dear darling Max_. Damn, does that boy try." She chuckled softly, as Chloe's eyes continued to dart around inside her skull.

" _W_ _hat the fuck do you mean?_ " Chloe whispered harshly, her face contorting into one of annoyance, annoyance and apprehension.

Another soft, curt snicker from Rachel. "Oh, I think you know what I mean." She winked again, that suggestive wink that Chloe had fallen for hook, line and sinker time and again.

Before she could reply, Chloe felt a set of lips press against hers and a tongue gently snaking its way into her mouth, catching her off guard. At the same time, the hand gripping her left wrist began caressing the joint, softly, as the knee against her waist moved softly across her, over exactly the wrong places for it to be. Her heart went into overdrive as she felt a soft tingling across her stomach and abdomen, a relaxation against her will. 

Three things happened almost simultaneously as her body settled into the barrage of her senses: the hand caressing her wrist snapped it back harshly, jarring and grating the improperly-healed bones; the knee massaging her lower abdomen was drawn back and slammed hard into it, punching the wind from her and worsening her sickened feeling; and a pair of teeth bit down hard on her bottom lip. Chloe stifled a cry of pain as best she could as the limbs restraining her were withdrawn without warning. She keeled forward, falling flat against the cold and grotty tile as she clutched at her waist and mouth, her other arm outstretched after the elbow connected abruptly with the cold and unyielding floor.

 

"Enjoy your consolation prize while it lasts." Rachel muttered as she stepped over Chloe's felled form, strutting out of the door and leaving Chloe to fight back tears on the floor. She could already taste the blood in her mouth where Rachel's teeth had pierced the soft skin inside her lips, and her wrist screamed out in burning agony where it had been violently contorted. The part that scared Chloe more was having to go back out there. To have to somehow _explain this shit_ to Max. Slowly, she pushed herself onto her feet with the remaining hand that could bear weight. Her legs trembled as she lurched forward, clutching onto the nearest faucet to try and steady herself. Raking down as deep a series of breaths as she dared, trying not to provoke her insides into another retching fit. She stared through her own eyes as she looked at the cracked, graffitied mirror in front of her. Trying to will herself to get back out into the diner, to not leave Max sat alone. None of the energy came to her, her courage having flown far from her grasp.

* * *

Max's brow furrowed as she finished the last scraps of the pasta in her bowl. A flicker of worry possessed the back of her mind, even though she knew there had to be a reasonable enough explanation for Chloe's prolonged absence from the table. None offered themselves readily, however.

 _Chloe's been gone for fucking ages. Maybe I should go check on her, maybe she's seriously sick._ Max stared across at her half-eaten food, considering what to do. After some deliberation- and explaining to the waitress she called over- the remnants of the food were boxed up to-go for her. She sat back in her seat after her plate was taken away, still deliberating Chloe's absence, when she heard a quiet cough next to her. She jarred from her thoughts to find the shy-looking girl- Kate, if Max remember correctly- stood next to her, lightly grasping the elbow of one of her arms. Next to her was stood a boy of about their age, a mess of brown hair adorning his scalp and soft brown eyes that belaid more about him than he would have liked, or so Max thought.

"Um...may we…?" Kate asked nervously, sheepishly gesturing at the bench opposite Max. 

Max shrugged and gestured at it. "Be my guest. Chloe's in the bathroom right now, she's not feeling so good today." Kate smiled at her softly, almost awkwardly, as she sat down. The boy next to her looked as though he were seriously considering sitting next to _Max_ for a moment, before thinking better of it and joining Kate on the other side of the booth.

After a moment or two of awkward silence between the trio, the boy opened his mouth.

"So… you're Max, right?" He muttered, almost mumbling. Unbeknown to him, Max could already see through his quasi-innocent face, right through to the look behind his eyes that said _'I want to get in your pants'_. She mentally rolled her eyes.

 _Same shit, different school. Ugh, boys for you, Steph got it in one about the regular schools. Hopefully, he gets the idea_ _before_ _Chloe comes back, else things are going to get awkwaaard. Or utterly hilarious, that remains to be seen._ She pushed any thoughts she had to the back of her mind, tried her best not to draw parallels between her newly-introduced company and that of old, back in Seattle.

Max was so engrossed in her thoughts on the matter that she would have missed Kate's words, were it not for seeing her mouth move.

"So Max, this is Warren. Resident geek-cross-science-addict of our grade. Somehow, he's managed not to set himself or the Lab on fire so far this year. I'm not _entirely_ sure he'll manage to see out the year like that, though." She giggled a little at his expense, Max grinning as his face went slightly red.

"Hey, _every_ scientist has to have their failed experiments Kate. You watch, fifteen years from now…" Warren countered, as Kate turned her head away to roll her eyes, albeit _just_ enough that it wouldn't be considered rude.

"Perhaps," Kate continued, "but even though science is far from my repertoire, I'm at least somewhat certain that Einstein and Newton didn't spend as much time in the nurse's room as you do."

Max grinned ever so slightly more, as the sarcastic words she _so seriously_ wanted to use sat on her tongue, mothballed. _'Maybe he has a thing for said nurse?' Eh, I'd rather not embarrass Kate too much today._

Warren straightened himself up in his seat a little as Kate continued chatting to Max.

"I must say, some pretty strange things have been going on at Blackwell recently. For some reason, Victoria and her friends have let up on me at the minute."

"Well, after her _'accident'_ in the canteen the other day, she probably thinks you've got Divine Protection," Warren cut in,"I mean, did you see the state she was in? Oh, it was brilliant!" He continued, continuing to talk away like a hose with its valve stuck open as he laughed between sentences. Max simply smirked, as she thought about her interventions over the last few days.

_Oh, there's another alias I could use! 'Divine Protection'! Or...maybe find something a little catchier. Nuts!_

"Anyways," he turned his attention back to Max, "I don't think we've met properly." Max already knew the subtext of that statement. _'And wanna get to know you better, blah blah blah.'_ Great _._

Attempting to be somewhat more subtle than she would otherwise have wanted to be, she elected to engage.

"No, no we haven't. I'm Max." She extended a hand apprehensively, which he shook- overzealously so, in Max's eyes. His palm felt somewhat hotter and more damp than Max would've otherwise thought normal as well. 

_Ergh._

Warren eventually released Max's hand as she fought the urge to wipe it clean on something. "Figured not." He stated, confident as ever. "Take it you're not from round these parts." He continued talking, Max giving him a slightly smug (though he may have interpreted it differently) smile.

"Yes and no. Yes, I've only just moved back here; no, I'm no stranger. I lived most of my years as a kid here, and I was only away for three years or so." Warren's face, annoyingly, lit up somewhat. Far from dissuading him- seeing as she wasn't the _'unfamiliar outsider nobody'_ he’d anticipated her to be- he seemed even more intrigued and willing to speak to her.

“Cool! So, I suppose you can show me all the coolest places around here then? I mean, I’ve seen you take Photography Lab, so I bet you know all the awesome places.”

Max barely suppressed a piqued upturn of the corner of her mouth. “I guess so. What’s your specialty, seeing as you already know mine?”

Warren’s face lit up just that little bit more as she finished asking. “What, you missed what Kate said earlier? Science, baby!”

"Ah! So, you're in the same classes as Chloe then?" Max quizzed again. _Let's see if we can't give him a subtle hint to File-13 his plans._

 

Warren gave her an almost blank look. _Almost_ blank, save for the utter dumbfoundedness written across it. "Who's Chloe?"

Max shot him a confused look back. "Who's Chloe? You know, blue hair, badass attitude, snark to rival Vicky, et cetera, et cetera. You can't tell me a person like that is easy to miss."

Warren pondered hard for a few moments as the gears clicked together, his expression flipping on its head to what seemed to be joy. "Of course I know her, duh, it's Chloe! Between the three of us, she's _hot_ , don't ya think?"

Max had to restrain herself from letting her eyes roll out the side of her skull. Kate gave Max a knowing glance, and a mischievous smile- _does Kate even_ _do_ _mischievous?_ Max wondered- knowing full well what Max was about to say.

_Welp, great way to be subtle about how much you wanna bed somebody. Sorry to burst your bubble, kiddo, but she is taken with a capital T-A-K-E-N._

" _Hot_ , and also not into guys. Like, at all." Max answered his statement with, aiming for at least a _somewhat_ more subtle wording than that which he had just used. The resulting confoundment on Warren's face was utterly priceless. _Or perhaps Price-less?_ Max joked to herself.

"Uh, okay, but… heh, how would you, you know, know that?" Warren countered, falling over himself half a dozen times as he tried to regain some semblance of initiative in the conversation. Max's grin lit up further, as she could see him shifting ever-so-slightly, increasingly uncomfortable in the conversation.

"Because she is my best friend and has been for, oh, at least five years. Maybe six, who's counting?" _Best friend_ _and_ _girlfriend,_ Max commented internally, _but what he doesn't know can't hurt him- for now. Heh._

Warren's face started glowing, as he muttered something incomprehensible under his breath. Kate and Max chuckled at his expense, furthering his embarrassment, until Kate's eyes flickered wide for a moment as she glanced up toward the opposite end of the diner.

"Ah, and speak of the Devil- if you get what I mean, not that Chloe _is_ the Devil…" Kate joked, halfheartedly.

* * *

Chloe staggered slightly as she stepped out of the bathroom, steadying herself against the wall as she readied herself to head back over to Max. A glance at the booth revealed that Max wasn't alone by now. On one side, opposite her, was the girl they had spoken with earlier, Kate. Next to her, sat a boy by the looks of it. Chloe couldn't see his face from where she stood, but she could tell just about that she was right. Her face contorted into an angry expression, one that most would associate with a girl about to commit third-degree murder. As casually as she could, she made her way back across the diner, crashing onto the seat next to Max and making the three sat in the booth jump slightly.

"So, what did I miss?" Chloe asked openly, a bulldozing snark on the syllables uttered. The boy across from Max shifted ever more uncomfortably.

"Uhm, yeah, so I think me and Kate need to be going… anyway, nice meeting you both." Warren stammered, as his eyes met Chloe's by accident, her stare burning scorch marks into the upholstery behind his head. Kate obliged, standing up and allowing Warren to lead the way, giving Max a soft kiss on the cheek and a wave goodbye as she went. 

After they were out of earshot, Chloe turned to Max.

"So what the fuck was that all about?" She interrogated, a painfully obvious pang of annoyance and anger to her voice.

Max gave her a sharp look back. "They were just sat talking, getting to know. You know, like _normal_ people do. Jesus Chloe, what the fuck has gotten into you lately?" Max retorted, her frustration growing somewhat.

Chloe returned her sharp-edged stare with a surprised and slightly indignant one. "The fuck are you staring at me like that for? Did you not _see_ how that asswipe was staring at you right then?"

Max rolled her eyes hard enough to gouge out parts of the sockets in which they sat. "Yup. What, you _seriously_ think I'd ditch you and date that? Come the fuck on, Chloe, what do I look like to you- a fucking cheat?"

The voices in Chloe's head had devolved from an argument into a full-blown fistfight. 

_She's telling the truth, go easy on her for fuck's sake!_

_How do you know that, maybe she's just saying what you want to hear!_

_How would you know? You're just the natural fucking pessimist in the back of our head._

_-And the pessimist that was bullseye-dead-on about Rachel._

 

A clicking of fingers in front of her face brought Chloe back into the room.

"And you have the cheek to tell me off for zoning the fuck out!" Max exclaimed, an exasperated sigh permeating the air after the words left her lips. "Come on, let's take this elsewhere. Your burger's in that box for you to finish when you feel like it, by the way." Max deadpanned. Once they were outside, Max turned back sharply, Chloe very nearly walking straight into her. "And if you think I'm even _remotely_ into that guy Warren, think again. I had enough of shit like that back in Seattle. I had enough of that… after Marty." Max went quiet after that, withdrawing into herself as she got into the passenger door of The Beast, as Chloe scrambled into the driver's door. The air in the cab was tense, so much that even a fingernail could've cut it, never mind a knife.

Chloe opened her mouth to speak. "Max, I'm-"

"Save it." Max cut her off, her face a mixture of anger and pain. "Right now, I just wanna get home. Can we at least do that without more arguing?" With that, Max turned away to stare out at the coastline rolling by her window.

Chloe turned her head away from Max as she dispensed with the duty of not getting into a wreck on the way back to the house. Max went upstairs the moment they got through the door, as Chloe headed for the back garden once more. Another cigarette rested on her lips as she searched for a light, eventually finding it. She ran it in her hands for a moment, feeling the marks of the embellishment down one side of its plastic, reminders of a relationship long gone. A click of the button, and a flame was presented begrudgingly to the end of the toke between her lips. A drag in, closing her eyes as the hot gas permeated through her. She tipped her head back to look at the clouds as she exhaled, deep in thought.

_Another fine mess, Chloe. Who do you trust, when two people who have lied to you try to convince you that theirs is the truth?_

Another sigh. _I mean, Max actually seemed_ _hurt_ _that I'd even suggest she was planning to ditch me. But what if that's just a ploy to let me down more gently later?_ Her fingers crumpled the mix of paper and tobacco between them, wincing slightly as the hot embers made contact with her fingertips. _I guess we'll find out, one way or another. What's sure is that I can't trust either of them to be telling the truth until I find evidence to prove it. And,_ Chloe screwed her face up slightly, regretting the very words in her head, _the evidence ain't looking great for Max right now._

 

She dropped the broken remnants to the ground, shaking off the sting that the embers had left, and straightened herself up, before opening the glass door and re-entering the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup. Chloe just can't simply have a good thing happen without it all going bugger-up every ten minutes, because it's Chloe, and she's a natural at shooting herself in the foot. And creating problems she can't fix, at that. And as ever, our (least) favourite antagonist is just helping throw the jerry can on the fire when Chloe's done emptying its contents onto the flames and losing her eyebrows.  
> I know some of what I write- phrases, wording, adjectives- can get a bit repetitive sometimes, so if you have any suggestions aside, please let me know and I'll use 'em where I can!
> 
> Again, massive gratitude needed for my co-authors LazyLazer and Thanks_for_the_letters, who beta this and ARD and are probably what stands between it and being a typographical nightmare like my pre-beta releases!  
> If you wanna get hold of us, hit us up on Discord (Though not via DMs, please!): discord.gg/eW88HcX
> 
> Also yes, as Lazy put it so perfectly earlier when we were discussing the chapter, Warren is _"a bit of a mini Eliot."_ Now, I don't hold any special grudge against him, however I feel his whole attitude toward Max just feels wrong, I can't put my finger on it exactly but it does. 
> 
> No guarantees as yet on when ARD will see its next update as I've yet to put pen to page there, same for WTFH Chapter 9. They are both alive and kicking, however!
> 
> Peace out!  
> ~Adder


	9. Going Under

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe’s confliction over her split love interests and deteriorating relationship with Max hits a breaking point, as Rachel seeks to divide and conquer.
> 
> Meanwhile, Max attempts to tame the native Queen of Blackwell, as a number of unusual and unexplained events occur behind the scenes of their- not exactly ordinary- lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a day ahead of schedule. I can't guarantee I can keep this workrate up but I will do what I can.
> 
> Now, just let me run like buggary for the fallout bunker and let Lazy and Letters deal with the torrent of flak that is no doubt going to follow when this goes live.
> 
> (For those not yet in the Discord server: a number of people there absolutely HATE anything Amberprice-y to varying extents. And have called we three writers sadists and torturers for the privilege, which I take as a compliment as it means I'm doing something right. Also, anyone pro-Amberprice who considers joining the server: Ye Be Warned...) 
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you enjoy, and you may be able to see where things are going by the end of the chapter. Hint: not to a good place.

Chloe stirred again, feeling a cool breeze across her skin. Her eyes lazily opened, finding themselves staring at the cinderblock wall once again, chipped shards still lying at its base from where _that_ name had been struck several days ago. Faintly, she could hear the rattling of a passing freight train, the buffeting wind as it passed, making the cars stacked atop each other groan as they shifted slightly. The faint whisper of wildlife, far removed from the chaos of the Bay itself, drifted across the decaying, abandoned yard. The weather seemed unusually pleasant, too: a light breeze was still blowing through the area, gusting slightly, shaking the treetops with a rustling as it did so; the few clouds in the area were silvery, not a drop of rain was in sight; the air was warm enough to be pleasant, while at the same time not being clammy. Chloe sighed, relaxing as she tilted her head back to stare at the roof.

 _Home, sweet home._ A scrap of paper attached roughly to the roof, as though forced into it by an unseen hand, caught Chloe’s curiosity. It was out of place, and Chloe knew it, having spent countless hours staring up at that battered and rusted corrugated iron while smoking a blunt or a cigarette in the company of her- former- lover. Chloe blinked, and several more joined it, hearing the click of a camera shutter as she did so. _What. The. Fuck._ Chloe’s subconscious commented, unable to make any real sense of what she was seeing. The corrugated iron roof  had taken on a more crimson shade as well, a slight sheen to its surface. She squinted at the images, feeling a shiver pass through her spine as the wind turned cooler, flowing through the shack a little more briskly than before. The pieces of paper were images, Polaroids of Max. One depicted her in just her bra and pants, bound roughly by the wrists and ankles, in the corner of a room. Her face had a drugged stupor to it, but even through the haze a look of fear and discomfort was evident. The image was in a dingy monochrome, shades of black and white, featureless otherwise. Another, similar, flanked it on one side. This time, her arms and legs had cuts on them, bruises, the deep red of oozing blood making a stark contrast from the previous photograph. A few flecks of blood were dried under her nose, and some more appeared to have been dripping from her mouth, rivulets captured mid-air. Chloe could feel her heart quickening in worry as she stared into the glassier-looking eyes, still monochromatic in this still, a look of suffering in them that could only be created by days, maybe weeks of constant abuse. Again, Chloe was something of an expert on that look. Her anxiety continued to speed up, as the ceiling began to drip globules of sticky, red liquid.

 _Chloe, you’re dreaming. WAKE UP!_ Her subconscious screamed at her, to no avail. She looked at the next photograph, its edges spattered with blood: it was completely in colour; an off-white room with a heavy-looking wooden chair near one wall; slumped lifeless in the chair was Max, head lolled back with expressionless blue eyes, fastened by her ankles and wrists, a round bloodied hole in the side of her forehead, a spray of blood and bone on the wall behind. Chloe's heart continued to beat faster and faster, harder and harder, threatening to burst as she frantically scanned around the room. A thunderclap echoed throughout the flimsy structure as the sky above turned a menacing black, the wind picking up now until it was virtually howling through the gaps. Her eyes fell on the wall once again, where her name and Max's should have been.

 _Chloe was here_ remained, her name seeping blood.

 _Max was here,_ too, appeared to be in place, however, her name had been shattered, a small hole punched in the weak concrete in the centre of the hole for the 'a' in her name.

Chloe's breathing became shallow and rapid as she read further down, her heart almost threatening to tear through her chest.

 _Rachel IS here_ , written beneath Max's name, each word dripping red. A slight smoke appeared to drift upward from the letters. As she glanced outside, everything around the shack glowed a brilliant orange, an all-consuming maelstrom of fire assimilating everything it touched, save for this flimsy refuge. Embers skipped through the air, some floating through the windows, sparking into light the moment they touched anything that would burn.

"What's that expression for?" That voice  purred in her ear, the same as the blurred and distorted one in her last nightmare. As if nothing had happened, everything was back to normal again. In the distance, the birds were chirping again; the howling wind had all but vanished, a soft breeze taking its place once more; the biting cold replaced by the same warmth that had been just moments earlier. She found herself staring back into that face once again, a featureless black, the light (or something) obscuring the figure's face from view. Her hands pinned Chloe's shoulders, massaging them. Chloe felt her heart slowing down again, any sense of threat removed, as brought her lips into contact with hers. The hands left her shoulders slowly snaking their way down her body. Caressing her as it went; one softly, smoothly rubbing along one side of her ribs, as the other slid under her T-shirt and up toward her bra, gently bypassing the light material and making contact with the soft skin beneath. The hand against her ribs curled inward, nails running along her skin as they slid down toward her waistband. Chloe felt alive, an intense tingling through her body wherever the digits made contact. She moaned, softly, closing her eyes and letting the sensations consume her. The pair of lips sealed against hers once more, a slender tongue reaching into her mouth as they did so. The hand at her waistband slid under, massaging the sensitive skin beneath and setting her senses aflame. Chloe's moans pitched higher, albeit muffled by the kiss she was locked into. She had noticed that the hand on her breast had withdrawn, but thought little of it. Their lips broke away from each other, the shadowy woman sighing softly, as Chloe panted away, a slight sheen of sweat building on her skin. The figure pressed her nose to Chloe's, her hand still working away below the waist, her touch becoming slightly harder. Chloe squirmed and writhed as wave after wave of unparalleled pleasure coursed through her.

"I miss when we used to do this more often," She uttered, a slight hint of venom to her sultry tone, "but that's what you get for picking second-best." Her nails dug sharply into Chloe's groin, causing her to jolt sharply with a mix of pain and pleasure, screwing her eyes shut as she flopped back, groaning. The hand removed itself, as figure sat up, her shins pinning Chloe's wrists down as she sat on Chloe's hips.

"Shame, we really could have been something. But, if I can't have you, nobody can." The figure stated, a strong hint of menace behind her tone.

Chloe's blood ran cold as her eyes shot open, to reveal the figure's arms stretched above her, a knife in them. She cried out in terror, trying hopelessly to free her arms and block the glinting steel as it was plunged into her chest. She garled a scream of pain as the blade sliced through her chest, puncturing a hole in her lung. Her heart  continued to speed up as blood began to inundate the damaged lung, slowly drowning her in her own fluids as the figure stood up, leaving the blade embedded in her chest up to the hilt. Chloe's hand wrapped around it, weakly trying to remove it as her strength failed, each breath bringing up a slight spray of crimson as she tried desperately to cling to life. Her vision blackened at the edges, as her faltering breathing subsided into a death rattle. As the slender form of her murderer vanished from the doorway, the light of her sight faded and died, becoming a crushing black as her pulse dwindled and faded with it.

* * *

Chloe jolted awake, once more drenched in a cold sweat, her heart running at incredible speed, her breathing fast and shallow. A hand frantically ran over her chest once more, where the dagger through her chest had been. Nothing was there, with the exception of the smooth skin that was meant to be. She took a few deep breaths, slowly calming herself down.

_It's fine, Chloe, it was just a bad dream. You're alright, nothing bad's happened. You're alright._

As she calmed down, she shot a glance at the digital clock. Yet again, its neon-red digits glowed back at her, the same as they had before.

 _03.11._ _Weird. Two nightmares that are similar, and I wake up from both at 3-11 in the morning. Hell, it sounds like some kind 'Exorcist' or 'X-Files' shit. Heh, Mulder would have a field day, especially with Max…_ she shuddered as she remembered the details of the dream, especially those Polaroids, depicting her-. She shook her head, trying to bury the thoughts. Nothing made much sense, especially given her current status with either party, but she couldn't help but feel there was something to these nightmares. Something of a warning of what was coming. Chloe shook her head.

_Stop being so overdramatic. This is the real world, not some fucking F-Movie. Premonitions aren't a real thing._

She felt her eyelids become gradually heavier, as her body reminded her that it was, in fact, three in the morning, and that she should still be asleep as opposed to pondering life's mysteries. She glanced at Max, chest rising and falling softly. Where normally she would have smiled, remarked on the cuteness of her sleeping girlfriend, a slight grimace came to bear.

_Every night we seem to be sleeping further apart. Every day, we seem to be getting more distant too. How long before she shuts me out altogether?_

Not allowing her mind enough time to think of the thousands of answers it no doubt would, she gently lay back against the mattress and allowed her sleep, more peaceful and dreamless, to overtake her once more.

* * *

 

_9th March, 2011_

_The Price Residence_

_7.15 am_

 

Chloe groaned as she awoke once more, her limbs stirring into life as she stretched them outward. She rolled over to look at where Max had been sleeping, to see an empty bed, save for the red-tinted light flowing in through her flag-covered window. Already, the sounds of life outside her home were beginning to take form, the traffic moving up and down the street, the odd sprinkler running where its owner could afford to do so. Chloe frowned.

 _Upped and left without saying anything. I wonder, where have I heard that before? Oh yes, with_ _her_ _the_ _last_ _time she left._

The bedroom door clicked open, and Max shuffled back into the room, towel wrapped around her waist. Everything with the exception of what her towel covered was laid bare, not that Chloe was paying attention.

"You've slept in this morning. Odd, thought you were the early bird of the two of us." Max chirped, sarcastically.

Chloe's gaze narrowed slightly, a mix of annoyance and fatigue. "Well, I'm sorry, Miss _'I don't get woken up by wack-ass dreams at three in the morning'_. Some of us have to try and catch up, you know?" She fired back, a slight edge to her voice. Her eyes shone a piercing stare at Max's, only to receive an almost equal stare in return, as Max retaliated.

"You know Chloe, sometimes, just _sometimes_ , I can begin to see why you've always had such a hard time making friends." Max muttered, flopping onto the bed next to her. Chloe released an agitated sigh. Max looked at her again as she slid a T-shirt on over her head.

"The hell was that sigh about?" She asked, her tone softening.

Chloe looked away from her. "Nothing. Forget it." She growled, agitated.

Max sighed, not with anger or frustration, but with something akin to disappointment. "Fine, be like that."

With her head turned away from Max, Chloe's expression had twisted, as her mind and heart split over what she was doing.

_She's got eyes for you and you alone, you fucking moron! Why else would she sound that downbeat?_

_Because maybe she's playing the Crocodile Tears game. Rachel was good at that._

_Face facts, asshole, when has she ever lied to you on purpose?_

_Uh, hello? When she fucking left the first time, ring a bell?!_

_She didn't lie. She just didn't say anything_ _because she was too fucking scared of what you would say_ _._

"So, I've got to stay late tonight. Some shit with Photography Lab. God, I swear the only thing keeping me from dropping that subject is the fact that it's the second-biggest love of my life." Max grumbled, and shook her head as she finished. "I'll text you when I need picked up, is that okay?"

Chloe curtly nodded her head, not speaking a word as she couldn't trust her voice not to crack and reveal her feelings. She felt a hand pat her on the stomach, the arm resting against her ribs.

"You _may_ wanna get dressed too, Chloe. Probably not a great idea, rocking up to school in pants and a bra." Max noted, jokingly. "Especially given Warren thinks you are _'HOT'_." She added, an over-the-top impression of his voice to emphasise, giggling.

"What?!" Chloe yelped, eliciting a chuckle from Max.

"Oh yes. Least, that's what he said in the Two Whales last week. Oh, the look on his face when I told him you weren't into guys… that was utterly beautiful." Max articulated, barely able to string the sentence together for laughing as she got up to head down for breakfast, the standard aroma of the Price household drifting up from the kitchen as she did so. Chloe felt the bed rumble slightly as her phone vibrated. She picked it up as she got out of the underwear she had slept in, shivering slightly as the cool morning air passed over her.

 

 **Unknown number:** So, how's second-best working out for you today?

 

Chloe stared at the screen, confounded. _How theu fuck has she got my number? I'm sure I changed it after- oh, wait, no I haven't. I just deleted hers._

 

 **Chloe:** Fine thx, the fk has it to do with u?

 **Unknown number:** A proposition. But, if you're not interested…

 

Chloe thought long and hard about what she was going to type next. If 'long and hard' was the exact amount of time it took her fingers to bounce across the small keypad of the phone. All the while, her voice of reason screamed in vain at her, to reconsider, or to at least _think_ about what she was doing.

 

 **Chloe:** Fine. What is it?

 **Unknown number:** Lockers by Gym. 4.30pm. Be there, or be square.

 

Chloe slotted the phone into her jeans pocket, as she finished dressing. She felt a twinge in the pit of her stomach, as she thought about what she was doing.

 _I accuse_ _MAX_ _of being the unfaithful one, yet here I fucking go. Again._ Chloe acknowledged. _But it's like she said, even if I don't trust her: Max has already probably been playing away on me so far. What difference does it make that I should start now?_

* * *

 

_Blackwell Grounds_

_12.50pm_

 

The morning had passed by with little of note for the pair, each in their own lessons. The only thing that Chloe could even have called a 'notable occurrence' was being paired with Warren during chemistry lab, presumably as some sick joke of the Universe at large. She almost felt sorry for the poor boy, given the withering looks she had given him when he made an offhand remark here or there, though whether it was aimed at Max or herself she wasn't sure. The lab session had gone relatively well, up to the point that Warren had gotten his chemicals mixed up- _bless him_ \- and put magnesium into the crucible suspended over the bunsen burner rather than iron filings. Which, as Chloe noted, had made a crude form of thermite. The blinding white flash followed by a bright white glow signified to all, Ms. Grant included, that something had gone wrong. Luckily for the pair, there hadn't been a great amount of the metal put in, so the reaction fizzled out before it could melt through the crucible and/or create a largish hole in the workbench below. Thankfully, Ms. Grant wasn't the kind of teacher to make a public display of something like that, taking it in her stride as the lesson continued forward.

 

Now, she was sat on the park bench opposite him outside, Max by her side- though separated a little- opposite Steph. Sat on the edge of the bench next to Max was the shy church-type, Kate or whatever her name had been. Chloe was half-listening to whatever was being discussed, something about one of the usual prepshows (known to anyone _outside_ Chloe's head as Vortex Parties) that had gone on over the weekend. Not that any of them had made the invite list, obviously.

 

"Yeah, I'm glad." Steph remarked, as Warren voiced his discontent with being overlooked for such a social gathering. "Last time I went to one of those fucking things and had anything to drink, I had guys trying to get all over me. Pretty sure I got thrown out in the end."

 

Warren's eyebrows shot up. "Thrown out...how?"

 

Steph shot him a smug smirk. "One of the assholes wouldn't take the hint, so I gave him a good old trick the girls back over in Portland taught me." She explained, an open hand above the table being sharply crushed shut. Warren winced, instantly getting the meaning of the gesture.

 

"So… what did you do?" Kate asked, having _not_ gotten the meaning of the gesture.

 

Steph chuckled to herself for a moment. "Well, let's just say he _did_ bust a nut; just not in the way he wanted to." She elaborated, a sardonic grin on her face.

 

Max snorted with laughter, Kate's face going somewhat red as the penny finally dropped. "Oh. Wow." Was about all the flustered blonde could conjure up to say. Chloe barely reacted throughout, however, her mind still being focused on the maelstrom within.

 

Warren continued. "Well, I suppose you're right about not being invited to their parties. I hear nobody's seen Samantha since."

 

Max gave him a confused look. "Samantha?"

 

Warren returned the confused look, softening slightly as it dawned on him. "Oh yeah, you two never met! Oh, Samantha was Nathan's… girlfriend? Or, something like that." He said, filling Max in on the details she was short on.

 

Max lifted her head in understanding. "Right."

 

Steph chipped back in as well. "It gets weirder than that, sadly: last party, I hear shit went down too. Nathan nearly throttled somebody; _and_ , it would seem some of the girls there got drugged. Hayley, I think I remember hearing about. Poor girl was totally out of it, if I'm rightly informed. When I was talking to her earlier, all she remembers is having a drink someone handed her, and that she could taste something salty. Everything else is a blur, she says."

 

Warren looked away, almost guiltily. "Shit. And here I was hearing that she'd just drunk too much and was trying to play the field. Idiot!"

 

Chloe finally elected to join the four in conversation. "Are you _really_ that fucking naïve, Warren?" she growled, her irritation caused in equal parts by his behaviour about the situation and her current problems.

 

Warren leaned back, putting a few inches more between himself and the seething fury in Chloe's eyes as he raised his hands. "Hey, it's not like I get involved all too much in the drama and shit around here. How should I know about things like that when I don't get involved with even _half_ the social stuff here?!" he retorted, on the defensive.

 

Chloe's seething dampened down somewhat. "Whatever. Don't jump to conclusions next time." She deadpanned, the anger still simmering in the undertone of her voice. The faint ring of the bell signified the end of the lunch break, each of them standing up to head for their next lesson with the exception of Steph.

 

"Chloe. Wait a sec!" She called out, softly grabbing her wrist as she went to leave. Chloe tried to wrench it free of her grasp, only for her to tighten further as everyone else cleared away and headed inside. A few moments later, Chloe gave up trying to free her wrist with an impatient grunt.

 

"What?!" She snarled at her, not trying to camouflage the outburst in any manner.

 

Steph simply gave her an interrogatory stare before saying her piece. "Look, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

 

"I'm. Fine." Chloe grumbled, her tone low, her facial expression twisted into an aggressive look, the type an attack dog would give its victim before pouncing. Steph merely snorted with laughter.

 

"You think _I_ am going to buy that? Absolutely fucking not." She corrected her. "In fact, you look like you're about five steps away from a full-blown fucking meltdown. I'm only trying to make sure you don't blow up in the wrong person's face." She elaborated.

 

Chloe let out a deep breath, frustrated. "I don't need you to fucking chastise me. I get enough of that from-"

 

"Max. Yeah, it figures. Chloe, in case you forgot, she's your _girlfriend_ and that's if you can't be open with her, who the fuck can you be open with?" Steph implored. "Seriously, what's going on?"

 

"Nothing," Chloe deadpanned again, "and I don't know why the fuck you're being so pushy about it."

 

Steph shot a stare into her eyes. Not one of anger, disdain, disappointment… more of concern, worry. "I'm being pushy, Chloe, because I care about you. Fucking hell, you're a good person and an awesome friend. I… I just don't want to see anything horrible happen to you. Not after last time."

 

Chloe's scowl took on an even more aggressive tone. " _Last time_?"

 

Steph backed off, standing up and gathering her things. "You know, maybe I'm wrong, maybe you're fine. But for fuck's sake, if there is _anything_ -" Steph began again, her tone a little more defensive.

 

"There isn't." Chloe stated, flat. With that, Steph shrugged her shoulders and walked in the direction of the main building as well. On the outside, Chloe's face was a slightly less angry picture of what it had been; inside, her thoughts once more threatened to tear her apart at the seams as she headed inside too.

* * *

 

_Blackwell Photography Lab_

_4.20 pm_

 

Max stared at the desk in front of her, the images she had scattered on them slightly. She had been having trouble concentrating since Chloe’s outburst at the bench. _Something_ was wrong, and Max knew it. However, Chloe was being the exact _opposite_ of forthcoming, shutting down whenever Max had tried to talk to her about… whatever was going on. It was giving Max one hell of an awful feeling, but she couldn’t put her finger on what exactly was setting off her sixth-sense. Perhaps Chloe just wasn’t feeling too well, or was going through _that time of the month_ , as most would euphemise. Somehow, though, Max could feel there was something more to this sudden shift in her behaviour, and she dreaded finding the root cause.

 

She glanced up as the noise picked up in the room, her classmates returning from the recess they had been given before the late class began. Mr. Jefferson took his place, perched on the front of the desk as usual, and entered his lecture-cross-monologue.

 

“So, the last time we were together we talked about chiaroscuro: the use of light, and dark, to conceal what we don’t want the viewer to see; to emphasise the things in focus, embody them in a way that they’d not be seen otherwise. I’ve looked over your homework, and it seems _most_ of you get the general idea. Some improvements to be made, here and there, but on the whole there’s nothing too out of place.” He cast a glance around the classroom, ensuring that he had the undivided attention of every student within before continuing. “Today, we move on to the fundamental principle of photography. The thing that separates the professionals with an eye for the shot from the amateurs. The key, in case you didn’t realise, is composition. _How_ the shot is put together,” he said, pausing for but a moment, “Is almost irrelevant if _what_ is being shot isn’t worth photographing.” Max caught VIctoria giving her a sly glance out of the corner of her eye. Max thought nothing more of it.

 

 _Fuck her. If she thinks she can get under my skin by giving me ‘the look’, she’s about to get one_ _hell_ _of an education._

 _She would probably be good in bed, too._ The unhelpful, sarcastic side of her brain- one that had been interestingly quiet for a while- sparked up with.

 

_Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up! We already have Chloe, we don’t need anyone else, least of all her!_

 

“The importance of knowing what to let your audience see can _never_ be underestimated.” Jefferson continued. “Such is its importance that it can make or break a photograph. Having the audience’s attention drawn to the wrong things within the frame, or having their attention drawn to the wrong place, can entirely twist the meaning of the shot away from what it should be.” He moved toward the centre of the classroom, subtly aware of the eyes following his every move. “For example, if I wanted to capture just one of you in the picture, I wouldn’t waste time setting up my camera, my lighting, my scenery, around the rest of you being there. No, I would clear the space around my subject, remove anything that detracts from the focus of the image. _Then_ , I would build in all of the other elements: the light; the textures; all of those can wait until you have everything sat _right where you want it._ ” He glanced once more around the room. “So, I want each of you to pick a photograph you have taken, and present it to the class. Explain _why_ you’ve picked whatever you have as your subject, and why everything else around it belongs in the picture. You’ve got five minutes to pick.”

 

Max looked back down at her desk, glancing over them until she settled on one. The photograph she had taken of Chloe when they had visited the clearing, the light hitting Chloe’s face just right; the natural lighting of the forest area causing almost everything else to fade into obscurity behind her.

 

_Well, it’s probably my best one of the lot. Almost everything else is just a shot of life in general, no real focus on anything. Besides, it doesn’t take a fucking genius to work out what the focus of this shot was..._

 

The time came to present, and by some misfortune of life, Max had the (dis)pleasure of having to go first. She moved her Polaroid onto the projector, its frame being cast onto the screen at the front of the class. She was pretty sure she heard Victoria mutter ‘dyke’ under her breath, or perhaps she imagined it. Jefferson raised his eyes at the photograph on the screen, possibly a hint of disgust in his expression as well.

 

“Interesting choice, Max. So, what is the focus here?” Jefferson asked, his expression telling her that he knew before she said so.

 

Max cleared her throat a little, to ensure her voice was _less likely to_ break. “Well… I’d like to think it is obvious. The girl in the frame- Chloe, one of the best friends,” _[and girlfriend, her subconscious commented]_ “I’ve ever had. We were out somewhere at the time, a friend of hers had suggested the area knowing I was into photography. I saw Chloe standing there, just utterly in awe at the place… it just felt right.”

 

Jefferson raised an eyebrow. “ _‘Right’_?” He recited, a slight snark almost creeping into his voice.

 

Max nodded, trying to suppress her expression as her self-confidence stumbled a little. “Y-yeah. I mean, the way everything looked, the look on her face, the way that the background just seemed to melt away when I lined up the shot. It just felt right, like I say.”

 

Jefferon’s expression relaxed somewhat. “Okay. So, your style is based on instinct, rather than method. Interesting, and a little bit unusual, but if I’m honest… it seems to work. It’s unconventional, but you seem to have a _gift_ for it.” The emphasis he put on the word ‘gift’ was subtle, Max could tell by the looks on her cohort’s faces that they had missed it. She, however, had picked it up loud and clear. And it unnerved her, just a little more. “Who’s next?” He asked, opening the floor to the class.

___

Most of her classmates had left the room during the recess, electing to head outside for fresh air, or a smoke. In fact, predominantly the latter. Even Mr. Jefferson had left the room, leaving her alone with… Ugh. _Victoria. Great._

 

Max decided to try and break the awkward silence first. “So… nice to meet you again. Vic-toria, wasn’t it?” She started, cursing herself internally at her stammer as she did so. Victoria merely glanced up from her phone and scoffed.

 

“What do you want, selfie-ho?” She snapped back, dripping with condescension.

Max glared at her. “Hey, I’m only trying to make conversation!” She fired back in return, slightly annoyed as to how presumptive Victoria had been.

 

“Yeah, well why not make it with that whore of a _girlfriend_ of yours? Pretty sure you just put that photo out there to try and play hard to get for people.” Victoria replied again, her tone still bristling.

 

Max sighed, frustrated. “You don’t get the whole idea of ‘making conversation’ _,_ do you? I’m trying to talk to you . Or has all the power _you think_ you have over people gone to your head?” Max retorted, at the edge of snapping over Victoria’s uncalled-for bitchiness. She took some pleasure in seeing Victoria’s eyes bulge ever-so-slightly as Max unleashed her return volley.

 

“H-how fucking dare you speak to m-me like _that_ ?” Victoria stuttered, unbelieving that someone, least of all this new _upstart_ , would even dare speak to her like she just had.

 

Max simply chuckled as she got up and walked toward her desk. “What, you take me for being someone who’s fucking scared? Of _you_? Newsflash, sista’. I’m not scared of you in the slightest. Go on, sic who you like on me. It’ll be no worse than what I’ve survived before now.” She enunciated, almost taking a twisted pleasure in seeing the writhing fear just behind Victoria’s eyes. She spotted the photographs on her table, electing to go in for a little bit of payback for Victoria’s antics a few weeks earlier, swiping one of them up before the blonde could react.

 

“Ooh, let’s have a look at this!” Max remarked, belated, as Victoria tried hopelessly to claw at her and retrieve the snapshot. As she lunged at Max at one stage, Max kicked out a foot and sent her sprawling, catching her as she fell rather than allowing her to hit the floor. As she righted her, Victoria spun around, a mixture of shock and surprise on her face.

 

“W-why did you…” her sentence tailed off as her mind tried to process everything, falling far short of the mark.

 

Max gave her a small, comforting smile. “I can be nasty when I want to, granted. I’m not horrible enough to let you fall flat on your face, especially after what happened to you in the canteen the other week.” Max kept the knowledge of _why_ she had taken a slip to herself, however.

 

Victoria averted her gaze, cheeks reddening as she recalled the humiliating affair. “Okay. I get it. Now can I have my picture back?” She asked, as calmly as she could.

 

Max laid it down on a table, hands on its edges. “Haven’t even had a chance to look at it yet.” She stated, as Victoria leaned in nervously. Max was sure the other girl was holding her breath slightly. She scanned over the photograph, one similar to what she would take- albeit with a digital camera, judging by the crispness of the image. After what must’ve felt like an eternity to her company, she returned the photograph.

 

“You know something, Vic?” Max canvassed, the now-startled Victoria holding her photograph like it could turn to ash in her fingers.

 

“Y...eah?” She mumbled, her voice faltering as fast as her confidence.

Max’s smile widened. “That photo’s absolutely brilliant. Really, it is. It could easily make it in a gallery, no doubt about it.” She answered, the blonde sighing.

 

“You think?” She asked in return, an edge of relief to her voice. Even her expression betrayed the tension vanishing from within.

 

Max nodded, confirming. "Abso-fucking-lutely. Now, what were you so keen to keep me off of your photo for?" She probed further, seeing a little more discomfort from Victoria. Once more, her gaze avoided Max's.

 

"I… I suppose I…" Victoria mumbled, her voice still quiet. Max didn't need to be a telepath to figure out what she was going to say.

 

"You're scared that you're not good enough, aren't you? That's what this whole game you play is about, right?" Max dug deeper, feeling slightly bad about the look on Victoria's face as she did so. Victoria merely nodded, Max noticing the tears forming in her eyes. She sat next to her on the desk, wrapping an arm around the tearful girl. Victoria flinched slightly, but Max reached wider, making sure she had hold of her.

 

"H...how would you… know? Y-you don't… " Victoria choked out, between shaking breaths.

 

"Sure I don't have the same _status_ as you. Doesn't mean you need to keep proving yourself. Same with photography: you don't need to smack someone down because you _think_ they're better than you; instead, think about it the other way." Max observed, seeing Victoria's head pick up slightly, her tears dried, a pensive expression on her features.

 

" _How_ else can I look at it, if someone's better than I am?" Victoria lamented, still not believing Max. "There's no place for second place in this, my parents made that clear _long_ before I came to this fucking school."

 

Max grinned at her, consoling her. "Photography's a huge subject. If you're not the best at one little thing, keep looking till you find something nobody else is good at. Or even, something nobody else can even fuckin' do." Max explained, a warmth returning to her stomach as she saw Victoria smile, ever so slightly. "Same with life in general. I'm pretty sure you don't need to rule this place by fear, even with that asshole Amber around. I doubt people would see you as having 'gone soft' if you were nice to them. Hell, they'd probably welcome the change, I sure as shit would." She finished, releasing Victoria as she realised that recess was almost finished and returning to her seat, allowing the former time to regain her composure.  She shot her a final knowing, comforting smile just as the first people filtered back into the classroom.

 

Unbeknownst to them, a vindictive pair of eyes had been watching the entire time, looking in through the classroom window, unseen. Of course, she was meant to be _in_ that class today. However, she had other things to do. A devilish smirk traced across her lips, as she looked onward.

_Thank you very much, Maxine Caulfield, for dropping your own downfall into my lap. This should be good._

* * *

 

Chloe walked apprehensively along the empty corridor of the school, still questioning her sense in doing this.

 _I'm supposed to fucking trust Max, and yet I'm going behind her back. Why? Why am I even here!_ She fought with herself as she continued forward, only vaguely paying attention to the areas around her, not noticing the gap between one bank of lockers and the other as she walked. An arm shot out and snared her by the bicep spinning her around and pinning her into the alcove before she could react. Her eyes shot open in surprise, breath hitching slightly, as she stared back against those expressionless hazel eyes. Her arms were restrained at her sides by equally-powerful hands, the weight of the other girl keeping them in place. A smile adorned the blonde's face, her features warm. Her nose hovered but an inch from Chloe's.

 

"And here I was thinking Chloe Price had lost her nerve. Perhaps you still have some balls, even with that two-timer you call a girlfriend calling the shots." She purred, her breath smelling just slightly of weed and wine. Chloe could feel her heart speeding up, and she silently prayed that Rachel couldn't feel that happening.

 

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue? Or you trying not to piss yourself?" Rachel asked, voice dripping with a veiled menace and sarcasm.

 

"N-no… just, thinking." Chloe mumbled, trying to control her shallowed breathing and avoid the minor- or not- panic attack that was coming on. Rachel's canines bared slightly as she widened her grin, moving her mouth to whisper in Chloe's ear.

 

" _Thinking…_ about what?" She repeated back to Chloe.

 

"About...about how Max isn't…" her wavering tone trailed off as a hand came up from one wrist, an index finger pressing against her lips.

 

"Oh, but she is. I've even watched her. She's playing the field, for sure. Hell, any closer and she'd have been sharing underwear with Vicky during recess." Rachel uttered, softly. "She doesn't care about you for more than it takes to keep a roof over her head and to have someone to twist around her finger, don't you see?"

 

A few tears rolled down Chloe's cheek as her emotions clashed internal, sparks in her conscience flying.

 

_Max is cheating on me._

_Why the_ _fuck_ _are you trusting_ **_her_ ** _word?!_

 

 _What else do we have to go on? She said she saw them_ _with her own fucking eyes._

 _…_ The voice of reason finally drew a blank in the back of her mind.

 

_We've no way to disprove it, so she must be telling the truth! I TOLD YOU Max was going to fuck you over again! Especially as she can make anything un-happen._

 

A hand wiped them away, softly.

 

"No need to get so worked up. I have a solution, Chloe. Why be upset, when you can just get even?" Rachel continued, a mischievous glint- mixed with something Chloe's tear-blurred vision couldn't decipher- in her eyes.

 

"W-w-wha...t…" Chloe spluttered quietly, no longer in control.

 

"Meet me at our old getaway, tomorrow. Hell, bring Max if you have to, it'll be more fun doing this under her nose. We'll do something you'll never forget." Rachel schemed, smiling as she cupped the back of Chloe's head once more, pressing her lips softly to Chloe's, giving her a soft, gentle kiss as she let go of her other wrist. Chloe could feel one of the hands working its way along her stomach, toward her waist, as Rachel pulled back from the kiss and turned to walk away, leaving Chloe at a loss. As the footsteps receded up the corridor, she crumpled into a tearful ball between the lockers, out of sight of anyone passing by. She pulled her knees up to her eyeballs, sobbing uncontrollably as the pieces making up her mind- barely back together- flew to pieces. Her conscience, her sense of reason, her mind, conflicting with her emotions. So many voices, Chloe didn't know which one to trust.

 

_Should we not ask Max about all this first?! Give her a chance to defend herself????_

 

_Absolutely Fucking NOT! Look what happened last time! And she has the ability to rewind and twist the conversation in her favour! She could lie her ass off and you'd never know!_

 

_But she fucking PROMISED never to use her powers against us!_

 

_...Didn't stop her when you were arguing with Wells, did it?_

 

Chloe slowly came round from her breakdown, making up her mind about the events of the coming day. Having made her way to the restroom to wash the residue of tears from her face, she leaned against the sink, thinking long and hard about her choice.

 

_If I do this, there's no going back. No way of telling what'll happen._

 

_I'll do it. At least...then, I might be able to get this… everything, get it off my conscience._

 

_At least then… then, I will be able to see how much I can trust Rachel. Maybe then, I'll actually ask Max. See what happens._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did say I was heading for my fallout bunker, yes? Yeah, make that the bunker _beneath_ that bunker. I look forward to seeing the utter carnage that this chapter produces.
> 
> As Letters so adequately worded it earlier in the drafting process:
> 
>  
> 
> _"If you're trying to make the readers scream at Chloe for being an idiot and not mentioning to her time-travelling gf she might be having premonitions, then congrats, you succeeded"_
> 
>  
> 
>  _"CHLOE. TALK TO YOUR FUCKING GF. COMMUNICATE YOU DUMB BITCH. AAARGH."_. 
> 
> Well, Letters is pretty dead-on. However, Chloe is as Chloe does, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how and where that's going to bite her. She'll learn. Maybe.
> 
> See you next time, when we see what is in store.
> 
> Also, the next chapter of Alias Red Deer should be underway in the next few days, and I've been working nightly on the finale as an advance measure. I'm about halfway through the planned events of the chapter and it's feeling good so far. Lazy and Letters will only see it when it drops live by the way, so they're in for as much of a surprise as you all will be too.
> 
> Until next time (unless someone has left a horse's head on my sofa by then...)


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